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'■ IN AIONG- all the welter of trivial and little-remembered fanzines
appearing in tiie fantasy field since 1930, occasionally someone has
made an effort to turn out a publication that would last a little
longer in both library and memory than the month in which its issue
was dated. The yearbook or "annual”, universally used where permanence
has been desired, is one of these products of fandom's effort to make
a niche for itself. There have been many such attempts at. yearbooks
and annuals, but not till Joe Kennedy appeared on the scene did anyone
publish a comprehensive review of all phases of the fantasy field for
a whole year.

Kennedy's two fine Fantasy Reviews , which covered the years 1945
and 1946, are the direct lineal predecessors' of the present volume.
Needless to say,, many. a.speots of this Fantasy Annual were either di¬
rectly copied from, or inspired by, his two productions.

Game 194*7,. Kennedy had "retired" from fanzine publishing, ’and his
annual, like his famous Vampire , had fallen by the wayside. A few of
us took stock', of the situation. We had had a yearbook and we had lost
it. We wanted' another one. No one else was doing anything towards the
accomplishment of this goal-, so we devolved the task upon ourselves.

After months of correspondence between the present editor and the
managing editor', and taking in such other people as Rick Sneary, we
began to make'definite plans for a' 1948 annual. We found willing and
able parties to do most of the writeups and much of the work. The Fan¬
tasy Foundation agreed to finance the project, and the Los Angeles
Sciencd Fantasy Society was willing to mimeograph and assemble the
volume.

Many weeks of effort on the part of the editors, contributors,
and publishers alike, ^have gone into the production of this 1948 Fan¬
tasy Annual .’ ‘Because'plans were not formulated far enough in advance,
the project 'was'foredoomed to a late appearance, and many obstacles
had to be overcome before the volume became a certainty. ■

. 'To all who assisted in the preparation of this Annual , the edi¬
tors extend sincere thanks. These people gave time and energy to pro¬
duce this book, and their only pay has been in egoboo —. and precious
little' of that. Particular thanks are due Forrest J Ackerman, the Fan¬
tasy Foundation, and members of the LASFS, without whose help in fi-h#?-
ancing and publishing this book the efforts of the editors and con¬
tributors would have been in vain.

It is our earnest hope that this volume will prove of value both'
for entertainment and for permanent reference. May it mean as much to
you as it does to thosejof us who have worked on it,

- THE EDITORS.

PUBLISHER
Forrest J Ackerman
EDITOR
Redd Boggs
MANAGING EDITOR

Don Wilson

ASSISTANT EDITORS

Howard Miller
Rick Sneary
Arthur H. Rapp
Sam Moskowitz
A. Langley Searles

SECTION I:. EVENTS OF THE YEAR

111 Introduction i . i * . - • • * * • • 5

? Events of the Year. 6

Poll Results: Top Fan Event, 1948. ... 18

II SECTION II: FANS AND FANZINES

•"'■I Introduction.19

j Top Fan Journalists.30

!•! Poll Results: Top. Fans of 1948 . 23

Poll Results: Fan Popularity ...... 24

Top Fan Artists ........ .25

Fanzines of 1948 . 27

Fan Books of 1948 41

SECTION III: FAN ORGANIZATIONS

Introduction . ... . 43

m Amateur Press Associations .44

II Fantasy Amateur press Assn .... 44

f! Spectator Amateur Press Society . . 46

Vanguard Amateur press Assn .... 48

National Fan Societies ..49

L Nat’1 Fantasy Fan Federation ... 49

f Young Fandom.50

III Local Fan Clubs.51

Cincinnati. 51

111 Eastern (Newark) .52

Lo.s Angeles . ..54

Michigan.56

if Minneapolis ..57

HI Philadelphia ..59

Portland Oregon . 59

'f Poll Results: Top Fan Groups .1 .... 60

||( SECTION IV: FANTASY BOOKS

- Introduction . . . . ... ... 61

Commercial Publishers, 1948 ...... 62

Science Fiction ,.. . . 62

If: Weird and Fantasy Fiction.65

j ___ t _cover by

i( THE FANTASY ANNUAL : published by Forrest J
Ackerman, Box 6151, Metro Station, Los An¬
il geles 55, at $1.00 the copy. Summer 1949.

Limited Edition Presses ..*•••*• 69
Arkham House 69

Avalon Publishing Co . 7°

Fantasy Press.. . 70

Fantasy Publishing Co., Inc . . . . 71

Gnome Press .. 72

Gorgon Press .'.7 2

Hadley Publishing Co ....... 73

Mycroft & Moran . 73

N at ’ 1 Fantasy Fan Federation ... 73

New Era Publishers.73

New Collectors’ Group . 73

Prime Press.*.74

Shasta Publishers .74

Venture Press. 75

British Fantasy Books. 76

Poll Results: Top Fantasy Books .... 78

SECTION V: FANTASY MAGAZINES

Introduction . 79

American prozines .. 80

Amazing Stories ........... 80

Astounding Science Fiction .... 83

Avon Fantasy Reader.90

Famous Fantastic Mysteries .... 92

Fantastic Adventures . 95

Fantastic Novels . 98

From Unknown Worlds.. . 99

Planet Stories ..100

Startling Stories.103

Thrilling Wonder Stories .... 106

Weird Tales . . . ..110

Foreign Prozines . ..... 112

The Semi-Pros . . ..113

Arkham Sampler. 113

Fantasy Book. 115

Select Science Fiction . 116

Poll Results: Top Prozine Stories . . 117

Prozine Checklist, 1948 118

Top Pro Authors.119

Poll Results: Top Pro Artists .... 120

gross man ~r

This volume was financed by THE FANTASY
FOUNDATION. Tiie manual labor of producing
it was performed by various LA3FS members.

fl
! 1

,v;1

>, (
J!

ifm

art editor

■John Grossman

CONTRIBUTORS; . .

Forrest J Ackerman
Arthur Jean Cox
Don Day
Don Ford
Philip Gray
Joe Kennedy
Francis T. Laney
J. Newman
Alex Osheroff
Con Pederson
Milton A. Rothman
Harry Warner, Jr.

* * «• * f * ■Si- ■Si # *

*#.*#** * * •» * *

THE POLL RESULTS

A FEW--WORD'S, of explanation would seem to "be in order with the
poll results listed in this Fantasy Annual .

As most of you know, these results are from the 1948 Dreamland
Opinionator poll, conducted at the end of 1948 by Don Wilson and How¬
ard Miller. Financed by the National Fantasy Fan Federation, the poll
this year was restricted to about 80 fans, chosen for their knowledge
of the fantasy field. It was hoped that in this way an accurate cross-
section of actifandom could be obtained.

Since the poll was designed to sample opinion on fantasy activi¬
ties of 1948 only, votes for storiesj books, and other material appear¬
ing in years other than 1948 -were not counted .

Contrary to usual custom, complete results of the poll are not
being published. In addition to finding ourselves cramped for space,
we felt that down below 50 points, results , were almost meaningless.
Consequently we have not listed items receiving less than 50 points in
most cases, and occasionally the results have been cut off above 50.

Method of scoring: We multiplied the number of places in each
category by 3, and the result was the number of points given a first
place vote in that category. Thus votes for "top fanzine" *or "top
prozine stories", where both divisions listed 10 choices, were worth
30 points for first place, 89 points for second place, etc. First
place votes in all other categories were worth 15 points, second place
14 points, etc., there being 5 choices in each division. The only ex¬
ceptions were the "top fan club" and the "top fan event" divisions —

9 points for first place, 8 for second, etc. — where, there were only
3 places in each category.

Final results in the "fan journalist" division were compiled from
the sum total of the various individual's scores in the following cate¬
gories: fan writers; fan critics; fan editors; fan publishers; fan ar¬
ticle writers; fan humorists; and fan fictionists.

In the "fan popularity" poll, votes for "worst fan" were deducted
from those for "best fan" to determine the results.

Counting poll results was done by Wilson and Miller, principally
by Miller. Thanks are due to Redd Boggs, K. Martin Carlson, William
Lawrence Hamling, Rick Sneary, Philip Gray, Thyril L. Ladd, and many
others, for their valuable aid, criticism, and advice.

— DON WILS0N.>

April 1949

* # # ' * * * «• ■ *

In This Section :

EVENTS 'OF TEE YEAR.

pag.e 6
page 18

ROLL RESULTS: TOP" FAN EVENT, 1948,

Early 1948 was a period of growth, and
consolidation in the fantasy field. Seemingly,
the unexpected slump that had come soon after
the war's end was over. In retrospect it appear¬
ed that the corner had been turned soon after
the Philcon (Sept. 1947); when instead of trend¬
ing downward as is usually the case after a.con¬
vention activity markedly increased. The upward
surge hit a peak near the beginning of 1948 and
carried. through -the spring and early summer.

A fanzine slump set in sometime during the
warm months, and the comparitive dearth of fan¬
zines and the lack of any fanation-wide contro¬
versy seemed to indicate the tide was turning
once again.

However, new fans and fanzines, new clubs
— both national and local — and new plans and
projects were very much in evidence during most
of 1948. Many observers felt that fandom was
merely shifting gears or turning a corner, and
that fan activity might be starting in anew di- -
rection, rather than slowing down.

In any case, 1948 was' ' not as news-worthy;
as 1947. There was no feud to compare with' the
Ackerman-Graham battle of words in the autumn of
1947; there was. nothing to resemble the. FAPA
blitz of that year; the Torcon didn't even pro¬
duce a cause celkbre such as the Speer fireworks
furoreof the philcon. -

The news reported in this section is mostly,
material not covered extensively in f the other
divisions. Herein reported axe the Toycon,. and'
various conferences and conclaves held in 1948;•
results of the 1947 Dreamland Opihionator poll,-
the NFFF laureate awards, etc.; and other events
of interest not classifiable under any other'
heading than.the generalized one above.

EVENTS OF THE YEAR

v/ ■ JANUARY

Radio lost little time in emphasizing fantasy's growing import¬
ance in mundane media during 1948 t>y presenting a rebroadcast of Rob¬
ert Bloch's Weird ' Tales classic, "Yours Truly, Jack the Ripper", on
the Mo lie Mystery Theater.,, 2 January. This yarn was also reprinted
twice during the year, in The pocket Companion and in The Unexpected ,
both po-clcetbook anthologies. # On 11 January, the author himself,
Robert Bloch, was interviewed over Milwaukee radio station WMLO, in
connection with his recently-published thriller, The Scarf . # During
January, too, another well-known, mystery writer, Wilson (Bob) Tucker,
erstwhile fan, revealed that his first book, The Chinese Doll , bad
been sold to a South American publisher for translation into . Spanish
and issuance in Latin America. He also reported that the original Am¬
erican edition (1946) was out of print. # It became known to fandom
during this month that Shasta Publishers of Chicago, who had already
announced the bibliographical work, The Checklist of. Fantastic Litera¬
ture , would publish a "popular line" of fantasy books. Their lineup
of titles, including books by Heinlein, de Camp, Stuart, Leinster and
others,, left no doubt that Shasta was destined to become a publishing
house of the importance of Arkharn House and Fantasy Press. # On the
prozine front, Popular Publications revived Fantastic Novels , former
sister magazine of Famous Fantastic My steries in 1940-41. # Donald A.

Wollheim, editor-of the Avon Fantasy Reader , explained that the delay
in the appearance of the fifth issue was due to the institution, of a
new cover policy. A cover painting which depicted a BEM was being re¬
placed by one featuring a 3BB (Big-Bosomed Babe), a figure who became
a regular attraction of that periodical. # The Saturday Evening . Post
published.-another science fiction'tale by aSF's prewar favorite, Rob¬
ert Av Heinlein. This time it was "The Black Pits of Luna", a story
which■followed Campbellian formula by taking space travel for granted
and .starting from there, but which presented a disappointingly incon¬
sequent ial.plot.- and s^ory. # From Sydney, xiustralia, the Futurian
Society, an Aussi.e club organized in November 1939 and revived in 1947,
announced•that as of 31 January, 19 members and associates had joined
the. organization, and the club had been established on a firm basis,
despite-the- ban on foreign stf magazines which had existed in Austral¬
ia: since lay 1940. # In fandom at large, the war over whether or not

to .support the "Club House", the fan column in Amazing Stories , rose
to an-unexpected climax. The controversy betv/een fandom end Raymond
A: Palmer, Amazing editor, had continued intermittantly for nearly ten
years, and had begun to simmer in earnest with the introduction, dur¬
ing the war, of the so-called "Shaver Mystery" stories, which fandom
condemned as "anti-scientific" and other things. Open warfare . had
broken out between fans who supported Amazing and those who condemned
it,-in October 1947, when Amazing announced the establishment of a fan
column.:in Amazing . Fandom began to wrangle, over whether to "appease"
Palmer by supporting the column,'or whether to ignore this peace over¬
ture from tiler? old foe. At the beginning of 1948, the fanation-wide
■ controversy, was threatening to split fandom into two warring factions,
and the-"war" continued to wax hotter. On 29 January, however, Roger
P. Graham, Amaz in g writer who was to conduct "The Club House" column
and who wap vacationing in California, brought the whole "war", to a

EVENTS 0^ THE YEAR'

surprising climax by boldly walking into the LASFS clubroom during a
regular meeting of tRat club. The EASES, Reaped by Fprrept <J Acker¬
man,; Rad been tRe bitterest opponents' of tire column; and Graham — wRo
was accompanied by a fan adherent, Rex E. Ward — figuratively was
walking into tRe lion’s den. Instead of a bloody set-to, tRe meeting
of arch-foes Ackerman and GraRam turned out to be surprisingly cor¬
dial, and anti-climatic. GraRam shook Rands with Ackerman, and a
well-tempered discussion ensued, during which Dale Hart spoke- for the
LASFS, cogently outlining their reasons for an anti- Amazing policy,
while Graham told the group that his sole aim in conducting the column
was -“to do fandom good, " , He also forecast that the “Shaver Mystery’ 1
was about ready to be heaved out of Amazing ; Although no opinions were •
altered, no blood was spilled and no harsh words were spoken, and the
whole "war” henceforth simmered down gradually, and most of the shoot¬
ing was over before the "Shaver Mystery" disappeared from Amazing soon
afterward. # Roger P. Graham remained in California for several
weeks, meeting fans, holding down a-typewriter at a Burbee one-shot
session, and .climatically, joining the Fantasy Amateur press Associa¬
tion. # Speaking of the FAPA, that organization,, well into its tenth
year, started 1948 with a new constitution, whose most obvious change
from the old order was the decree of mailing dates in February, May,
August, end November, rather than January, April, July, and. October,.

FEBRUARY •

Radio continued to find, fantasy a suitable dramatic vehicl.e. The
7 February "Suspense" program over CBS presented Curt Siodmak’s famous
story "Donovan's Brain" in a full-hour dramatization-, starring Robert
Montgomery* # For a week preceding their February meeting, the ESFA
had the date and time of the meeting announced nightly over WPAT,' one
of New Jersey's largest radio stations. Probably never before Lad such
wide-spread publicity been given the public-at-large for any fan af¬
fair. # The ESFA meeting itself proved to be an interesting one from
a nev>rs standpoint. Two rumors circulated by a well-known stf person¬
ality at the conclave were reported to the newszine Tymp anl by Lloyd
Alpaugh, Jr., and were printed as "stop press" items in Tym ! s 2 Feb¬
ruary issue. One alleged that FFM was to fold with its August 7,948
issue, and the other reported that Street & Smith was planning to dis¬
continue all its pulp magazines. Both items were challenged by the
publishers in question; Popular publications threatened to sue Tymp anl
for printing an "ill-founded and untrue notice", and Henry W; Ralston,
vice .president of Street & Smith, wrote a vitriolic letter threatening-
a post office investigation if a retraction of the report - concerning
S & S was not published. There was no truth to the- story, he stated.
Though Tympani retracted both rumors, a year later Street & Smith did
drop their pulp magazines, excepting only aSF. # Paul Dennis' O’Con¬
nor announced that he was moving his publishing 'firm, the New Collec¬
tors' Group, from New York City to Denver, Colorado. # Alec Severus
■ and a photographer, both from the Oregonian, , Portland's morning, news¬
paper, were present at the 15 February meeting of the PorSFanS. They
gathered material and took pictures for a feature article about the
Portland fan group for a Sunday magazine section. # The movie moguls,
having purchased the film rights to Barry Benefield's serni-fantasyarn,
Eddie and the Archa ngel Mike, decided to change . the title. ' Experts

THE FANTASY ANNUAL

tested public reaction- to various words often used in movie titles,

';• and chme up with a combination they said "had everything": "Texas,

’ Brooklyn., ,hnd Heaven.' Guy Madison and Diana Lynn were selected to
star in. thd,picture. ,'." L

-■ • : ' . MARCH

Snow.and rain drizzled out of a: cold; sky in'and around New York
•City on Sunday, 7 March 1948, but despite the miserable weather 85
fans and fantasy "enthusiasts congregated in Newark to make the third
.anniversary meeting of the Eastern Science Fiction Association the
most successful the club had ever held. "A conference in all but
name," the meeting was devoted entirely to the program. Sam Merwin,
J'r, , of TiitS and Startling , spoke on "Toward a Mature Science Fiction",
explaining the motives'behind the swing toward a more adult, approach
in his magazines, and expounding the theory that stf has outgrown gad¬
get ry to the point, where readers demand sound characterization, tight
plotting and other refinements, in addition to bizarre plots and futur¬
istic settings. Dr. Edward L. Simmons,, assistant professor of chemis¬
try at Rutgers, spoke as a representative of the . Emergency Committee
of Atomic Scientists, discussing the policies, and aims of. thatgroup,
and stating that a world government is not only a necessity in this

atomic age, if humanity is to survive, but an inevitability. Dr. Tom

S. Gardner, well-known to scientists and fans alike, then outlined
several objectives toward which he believes efforts of .science: should
be turned. Among these were space travel, the elimination ,of-disease,
a workable world government, and the increase of human life span. . Sam

■ Moskowitz read a speech prepared by Dr. A. Langley Searles, who-.wa,s un¬
able to attend. This talk, "The Place of Stf in Modern Literature",

• pointed'out;' that stf is rapidly becoming "respectable" • and - that its
; 'place .iri literature is rapidly strengthening as more and more stf mat-
' arial is'presented to the reading public. Mr. Orrin Keepnews of Simon
SchuSter, publishers of The World, of Nullr-A '(then forthcoming), fol-

' lowed with, a few words on the plans ..of S & S in the stf book field. He

said they 'wer'e willing to publish any stf novels which they believed
' could compete with the general fiction'on the market. An auotion of
’ originals, from FFM, F.N, TftS, SS, and' aSF completed the program, with
"bids ranging from 250 to |25. Among the celebrities present at the
•. meeting were Theodore Sturgeon, George. 0. Smith,: ."Milt Rothman, Julius
Unger, Alfred Prime, Oswald Train, Will Sykora, and many others. #

■ Street & Smith announced this month that an "annual" edition of Un¬
known Worlds , containing reprints from that well-remembered magazine,
would be published during the year. The company also revealed that
the editorial offices of many S & S pulps, including aSF, were being
moved from New York City to Elizabeth, N. J. ’# Ted Carnell, editor
of New Worlds — England' s last remaining prozine — announced that
the magazine’s publishing' firm was operating under new management, but
that it seemed that New Yforlds would be retained on the revised pub¬
lishing schedule, with Carnell still in almost 10.0fo control.^ # A. E.
van Vogt scotched rumors that his books The Weap on Makers (Hadley) and
Sian (Arkham House) would be reprinted by Simon & Schuster in general'
trade editions. # The Fantasy Guild, headquartered at Sen Francisco,
began operations as a "book-of-the-month club" for the fantasy field.
Tho-ca signing up ..had to promise to purchase at least four books from

EVENTS 0?; .THE; YEAR

fiqe- Guild during ."IjiiQ year; for every three purchases the member would
received a "spe'ci.hl:dividend” book, The Guild's first selection,, for
March 1948, .was Thb Lost 'Cavern and others , by H. F. Heard. Due to
lack of support, the.Fantasy Guild suspended operations later in the
year. "# Writer 1 s Markets and Methods for March plugged Ray- Bradbury,
revealed his methods for "hatching" an idea and developing it into',
salable fiction. The issue contained considerable information concern¬
ing "slanting" of stf, emphasizing the psychological trend in current
prozines. .# Sian Shack, born in Battle Creek, Mich., in the summer
of 1943, died in mid-March 1948 in Los Angeles. The building housing
Sian Shack., was to be torn down to make way for an office establish¬
ment. Forced;to find new quarters were Gus and Cenie Willmorth, Walt
Liebscher, Lee Budo.ff, jack Wiedenbeck, .Myrtle. Douglas, and A1 Ashley.
# Founded in late March 1948 was Science-Fiction International, a new
fan club whose object was "to reach the vast unorganized mass of read¬
ers. " Dan Mulcahy of St. Louis, Mo., was club secretary, pro tem.

APRIL

It was during this month that fandom first heard Rick Sneary's
propaganda slogan, "South Gate in '58/", opening.gun in a long-range
campaign backed ,by Sneary and ex-fan Rex E. Ward to bring the .1958' fan
convention to South Gate, Calif. . # Gordon 1. Kull, who as ^ jaead . of
.the Fandom Atomic Information Fund committee,- was collecting money
from fans to contribute to the million-dollar. fund of -the ..Emergency
Committee of Atomic Scientists, announced that as of mid-Apri 1 .only
four fans had contributed a'-total of only #10. He had set the - goal of
#500. # Results of the 1947 Dreamland Opinionator poll were announ¬
ced by Don vTilson and Howard Miller. According to this fanation-wide
poll, ’taken at the end. of 1947, the top fan journalist -was_ .Sam Mosko-
witz, with Joe .Kennedy second, and Don Wilson third. : The mo st. popular
fan.was Kennedy-, with Forrest J Ackerman and Charles Burbee in the"
place and show positions. Top fan humorist was also,.Kennedy, closely
followed by Charles Burbee and Bob Tucker. John Cockroft , Howard'Mil¬
ler and Tii'illiam Rotsler were top fan artists. 1947's top fan club' was
the Philadelphia group, while the top fan event of that.year was the
Philcon, at which the Phillies played host. The top fanzines- of the
year were The Gorgon , Dream Q,uest , Fantasy Advertiser , Fantasy ■ Commen¬
tator , and Fandom Sp eaks , in that order. On the pro side. Astounding
outran'TWS and Startling as top prozine; Henry Kuttner, A. E. van Vogt
and Ray Bradbury were the top three authors; Virgil. Finlay-,' Lawrerice-
Stevens, and Hannes.Bok were the top artists. The top -ten. stories of
1947 were: "Children of the Lens,"-"The End is Not Yet," "The Star
Kings," "Fury," "Aesop," "E for Effort," "Maturity," "Centaurus,11,'"
"So Shall Ye Reap," and "Ole Doc Methuselah," # Don Wilson and Howard
Miller found themselves bathed in # local egoboo when the Banning- (Cal.)
Live Wire of 39 April ran a lengthy news-story on their fanzine Dream
Quest and. fandom in general. A cut of Don Vvilson illustrated the news
item. # The 18 April American Weekly listed L. Sprague de Camp "as
one of 1400 persons selected as a child by Prof, Lewis M. - Terman of
Stanford U, as especially talented. These people's careers were fol¬
lowed to see how they succeeded. De Camp was listed as an expert in
naval architecture and patents, and the author of several books. #
At the April ESFA meeting, secretary Ray- Van Houten was .given the "go-

THE FANTASY ANNUAL

ahead" signal on a proposal to sound out other fan groups on a pig
award fantasy "Oscars" to fans and authors turning in the best perfo^
nnces each-year. # Also at the ESFA meeting a discussion took place
® the possLLity of'the group bidding for the 1949 stf convention.
No' decision was reached.

* MAY

The big news of the month came from England: The first postwar
conference of British fans was held 15-16 May, during

weekend, at the White Horse .Tavern m London. Dubbed the hhitcon ,
it was attended by nearly 60 fantasy enthusiasts and. prof^signals,
among them Ted Carnell, Walter Gillings, Arthur 0. Clarke, A. Bertram
Chandler, Bill Temple, Ken Chapman, John Newman, Land other names .
Gillings acted as convention president , and Newman-.as secretary. Fou
speakers were heard from: Clarke, Newman, Gillings, and Carnell. The
latter announced the suspension of New Worlds, , England s last surviv¬
ing indigenous prozine. The magazine did not collapse for circulation
reasons, Carnell emphasized, laying the blame to committments made by
tiie Fendulum publishing firm, which made it necessary to fold, several
of its magazines. It was then proposed that New Worlds, be revived by
a fan co-operative publishing company headed by Carnell. It was plan
ned that shares in the company Would be sold at .#1 each, and that wri
ters and artists would pledge work to the magazine with..the understand¬
ing that they would be paid later. The proposal was endorsed by “he
convention. # The following evening the second session was held ,
with the feature being an auction of books, magazines, artwork .and or¬
iginal manuscripts, with Ted Tubb wielding the. gavel. Bidding was
keen, but bids were amazingly low. A copy of Si an went for #1.?p; a
mint Time St ream for $5,35; a mint Chinese Dol l._ (attention, Tucker)
'for only 50 <p: The riot' of the evening came when War of the WomLas,,
acquired in a block of books, was returned to the auctioneer as "not
required". It was put up again with the remark, "Has anyone a small
son they want to bring up the right way?" Five minutes later, a lush
nude drawing was put on the auction block and after .some bantering and
price-raising, someone in the back of the hall (sounding suspiciously
like Carnell) echoed: "Has anyone a small son they want to bring up
the right way?" # The Queens'Science Fiction League, a famous fan
club of other years, began to hold regular meetings once more. At.
their meeting of 33 May, director Will Sykora gave a talk entitled "If
the Convention Comes to New York", which was opening gun in .a . QSFL
campaign to snare the 1949 convention. # Robert A. Heinlein, the
journalists’ favorite consultant when it came to discussing trends to¬
ward space travel, hit newspapers coast-to-eoast again. In an AP dis-
patch, which described him. as an engineer, aviation researcher and
writer, Heinlein declared that if we'can reach the moon before a third
world war comes along, there won’t be another global war. "A lunar
base would change the strategic situation so completely there would be
no war. Any power with a base-on the moon could rain'destruction down
here," he pointed out. He predicted that space travel.is just around
the corner, and held out hope that we might become acquainted with
'some of our "neighbors" when we reach Mars and the other planets. #
The Fantasy Veterans’ Association, an organization open to all fanta-
sites who had served a minimum of three months in the U. S. armed ser¬
vices, was being organized by James V. Taurasi and other New York fans.

EVENT S’ OF THE YEAR

# Don Pay spent the weekend, of 3.6-17 May ,in Seattle, visiting Dale
Donaldson, Alderson Fry, Mr. and Mrs. Theodore ^ilippi (Seattle hook-
dealers), Jack Speer,, and Mrs. Farnsworth Wright and Robert F. Wright,
widow and son of the late editor of Weird Tales . # A unanimous vote
at the 89th meeting of the Auslans restored the original name, the Fu-
turian Society of Sydney,..to replace, the unlocalized designation adopt¬
ed when overseas associateshipS' were admitted. At the same meeting,
Vol Molesworth was elected-directorhut decided against accepting of¬
fice, and W. D. Veney was re-eiected to the post. Graham Stone was
elected secretary and editor of the'Sy dney F uturlan , Mrs. Laura Moles¬
worth was re-elected librarian, and P„ Slick became treasurer.:

JUNE

The 1948 Laureate Awards of the National Fantasy Fan Federation
were announced this month, with the following results: Best fan auth¬
or, Sam Moskowitz; best fan editor, Stanley Mullen; best fan humorist,
Charles Burbeepbest fan poet,-Redd Boggs; best fan artist, John Cock-
roft; best new fan, Con Pederson; fan of the year, K. Martin Carlson;
best ex-fan pro writer, Ray Bradbury; best fanzine, The Gorgon; best
newszine, Tymp ani ; best -specialized fanzine, Fantasy Advertiser ; best
promag, Astounding Science; Fictio n. # The Futurian Press (of Sydney,
Australia) announced that a proposed, collection of Alan (Dream's
End) Connell stories had been postponed indefinitely. The printing

press .they.had intended .'to use was sold without the knowledge or con¬
sent of the owner while.he was in the army. # A new voice in organ-,
ized fandom was heard with the formation 6 June of the Capital. Dis¬
trict Fantasy 'Society of Albany, N. Y. Among the well-known fans pre¬
sent were Marion Zimmer, Thyril Ladd, Larry Shaw, and others —. seven.
fans in all, # The 38 June issue of Life had a full-page, full-color
picture of the planet Mars — one of the few ever,published -in 'full-
color. # Sam Merwin, Jr., spoke at the 27 June meeting of the . "Q,SFL
on the subject "The Three Gods of MankindFredric Brown, famous
author of "Pi in the. Sky", etc. , was also introduced and answered-many
questions about his writing career. # The LASFS voted to sponsor a
West Coast fan conference on the Sunday before Labor Day, 1S48, # At

the June meeting of the E.SFA a dispute came into the open. Arising
from Van Houten's campaign to bring the 1949 convention to New York,
it resulted in impeachment proceedings against club secretary van Hou-
ten for exceeding his powers in the- mailing of a letter referring to
the campaign. The impeachment was voted down, but a reprimand was
.voted with only two dissenting ballots. Van Houten then tendered his
resignation and though this was not immediately accepted, it was clear
that the ESFA did not-wish to bid for the 1949 convention. # The An¬
ti q uari a.n Bookman , "the Weekly Magazine of the Antiquarian Book Trade"
and a fairly new venture of Publisher's Weekly , devoted its 36 June
issue to the "new field of literary collecting", fantasy. Fronted by
a reproduction of Bok's dust-jacket illustration for The Checklist of
Fantastic Literatur e, the magazine was dedicated to the Tor.con, and
in addition to many advertisements by fantasy publishers, and dealers,
contained such articles as "Fantasy is Here to Stay" by Ted Dikty;"The
Fascination of Fantasy Fiction" by James A. Williams; "The Science.Fic¬
tion Convention" by Milton A. Rothman; and a list, of fan clubs and fan
magazines, reprinted, from TWS and Startling Stories . .

THE FANTASY ANNUAL

JULY

• Tiie -most important fan event of the month -- and of the year --
was the Torcon:, the Sixth World Science Fiction Convention, held 3, 4,
and 5 July 1948 at Toronto, Canada. Fan delegations from all over ' tjle
United States and Canada joined writers, editors, artists, publishers,
agents, and dealers in this three-day event which took place at the
Rai Purdy studios on Queen Street, with an attendance of more than 150
present. At the opening session, the afternoon of 3 July, such celeb¬
rities as the Kellers, George 0. Smith, Chan Davis, L. A. Eshbach, Ted
Dikty, Melvin Korshak, James A. Williams, Forrest J Ackerman, E. E.
Evans, Fred Hurter, Milt Rothman, Bob ladle, Will Sykora and others
were introduced, and the guest of honor, Robert Bloch, keynoted the
convention with a discussion of why science fiction has developed the
way it has, why people write fantasy, and why they read it. He scored
fans who believe fandom can save the world and use stf merely as a
vehicle for their desire to "reach the stars", but paid tribute to
fandom as a basis for friendship between authors and fans in a fellow¬
ship unique in the field of literature. A convention such as the Tor-
con, he stated, was a manifestation of the best in fandom. # Follow¬
ing Bloch to the platform, various representatives of the fantasy pub¬
lishers described their plans for future releases. # At the evening
session, the film "Atomic Physics" was shown, prefaced by a short ex¬
planation by Rothman. George 0. Smith spoke on "Interplanetary Commu¬
nication", stating that given a sufficiently powerful transmitter, and
a sensitive-enough receiver, he could devise a system, to communicate
with any planet. He adde$ that equipment was already in existence that
with a little redesigning could easily accomplish the job. # The af¬
ternoon session of 4 July was devoted to the annual auction of books
and originals, with Korshak swinging the gavel. The sensation of the
day was Harry Moore's purchase of the original of Finlay's "The Devil's
Spoon" (FFM, June 1948) for #70, the. highest price ever paid for any
item at any fan convention. # The evening session was devoted mostly
to Bob Tucker's much-publicized report on fandom, based on question-
aires he had sent to fandom before the convention. Equipped with
charts prepared by Mari Beth Wheeler, Tucker took the platform denying
his was a fannish "Kinsey report", though his survey touched upon such
matters as marital status and sexual activities. His poll, which sur¬
veyed the private lives of some 175 fans, showed that most fans are
between 18 and 35 years of age, that most are single, are atheists or
agnostics, have sexual relationships, and read Astounding . # Donald
A. Wollheim was next introduced and in reference to Tucker's report
that most fans dislike sexy covers on promags, he revealed that Ayqn
Fantasy Reader had -significantly increased its circulation since it
began to use scantily-clad femmes on its covers. # The session closed
with a science discussion led by Chan Davis and presenting a panel
consisting of Milt Rothman, Norman F. Stanley and Fred Hurter. # The
final day of the Torcon featured a talk by Dr. David H, Keller, "Sci¬
ence: Slave or Master?", which concluded with a discussion of science
fiction and its influence on society.. When stf stresses the destruc¬
tiveness of science, it impedes progress, Dr Keller asserted, in plug¬
ging stf about the beneficial aspects of science. # Finally, nomina¬
tions for the site of the 1949 convention were declared in order. Al¬
though both New York City and Detroit were expected to bid, a "smoke-
f .j lied. XQPm n - cpBif-ejr&ao0 between Detroit -and Cincinnati had xe suited in

EVENTS OF THE YEAR - 16

the Michiganders supporting Cincinnati for the hid, . The QSFL's hid on
hehalf of New York City was not. presented. Cincinnati was the unani¬
mous choice of the convention, and the 1949 event was immediately dub¬
bed the "C-invention" hy- George 0. Smith. # The final evening session
began with a 'buffet supper, after which the entertainment night pro¬
gram YJas presented,, Emcee Geo smith read the two newspaper accounts of
the Torcon from Toronto newspapers, while Boh Tucker added sound ef¬
fects at appropriate places. Sam Moskowitz recited Poe’s "The Haven"
from memory: Dr. Keller related an anecdote concerning one ambitious
author's experiences with a' "vanity" publisher; Rothman performed at
the keyboard; Robert Bloch gave a dry burlesque of the Tucker report,
using weird caricatures of Pong's charts; Norm Stanley spoke about the
"thing-thing", the "drill-drill" and other semantic wonders. -The pro¬
gram concluded with "Life Can Be Horrible", an interplanetary soap-
opera starring Josie Benderavage, Jim Williams, -George 0. Smith, and
Lee Gregoro The Torcon adjourned to the strains of "Auld Lang Syne."
# It was discovered at the 17 July meeting of the Portland group that
Don Berry had lost his entire, stf collection in the Vanport flood, al¬
though luckily he and his family were not at home when the disaster
struck. # Ten fans gathered at the home of Miss Helena Schwimmer 33
July for the purpose of forming a fantasy club for fans in Greater New
York. Joe Schaumburger was chosen temporary chairman of the group.

. AUGUST

It was during this month that a small but virulent feud broke out
in the Science Fiction International. Though it attracted little at¬
tention from fandom-at-large, this "war" was probably the year'fe bit¬
terest, lasting nearly two months. Confined mostly to SFI members,
the feud was deliberately provoked by a member who . felt that fancier.,
was "stagnating" and.that a little controversy would "stir things up a
bit. " He chose the by-now-passe subject cf Shaverism into which new
life was breathed when Rick Sneary (who was not the member in ques¬
tion) said that either Richard Shaver quit the SFI, or he would. Rick
was backed by SFI president Jim Leary, and opposed by Bob Farnham, SFI
secretary-treasurer, who said he was -throwing his lot with Dick ' Sha¬
ver and fandom be damned,- 11 Farnham resigned his office and said he
was withdrawing from the club, but a few days later lie wrote an ' "open
letter" (one of many which were circulated during the feud) demanding
that Leary and Sneary be expelled from the club. He also withdrew his
resignation, but Leary had appointed J. CL May secretary-treasurer in
the interim, and stood by that appointment. Meantime Farnham tried to
get Roger p, Graham in on the feud, but Graham refused to co-operate.
After considerable more sparring Farnham left the SFI, apologising to
fandom for the fuss he had caused, and turning against -Shaver who he
said, had "betrayed" him. Soon afterward, Leary resigned as 3FI presi¬
dent, indicating that he hoped that the club could thereby start again
with a clean slate, now that both he and his opponent, Farnham, were
out of the club. # During this month, too, the Futurian Society of
Sydney■celebrated the beginning of its second year of postwar activity,
having more .than doubled its membership since August, 1947, when it was
formally revived. # Bantam Books published T he Unexpected, a short
story anthology edited by Bennett Oerf, which included tales by such
famous fantasy writers as Jacobi, Bloch, Coppard, and Dunsahy. # The
annual FAPA elections, conducted in the August mailing, elevated. Rick

THE FANTASY ANNUAL

Sneary' to the presidency and. Charles Burbee to the vice-presidency,
while-Redd-Boggs became secretary-treasurer, and Francis T. Laney 01 -
ficial 1 editor. None of the candidates were opposed.' A feature 01 tne
election was. Elmer le.rdue's election to a post he had created himself,
that of "permanent ejc-president. "

’ SEPTEMBER

Three Labor Day conferences were held across the.Western half of
the United States. In the mid-West the "Beelcon”, sponsored hy Boh
Stein, drew eleven fans into Milwaukee for a weekend of strictly in
formal fan-fun. Most of the attendees were Michifen who arrived m the
Beer City Sunday morning and roasted marshmallows, and waded m La. e
Michigan that afternoon and, joined by Nick Carr of Chicago -- who st ¬
rived Monday — attended the H. G. Wells' double feature, The Man Who
Could Work Miracles" and "Things to Come." The rest of the time was
spent discussing fan affairs and making tentative plans for a N

Year's party in Detroit. On the way home the Michifen stopped m Chi¬
cago, made Ray Palmer's acquaintance, end were presented with some 15
pounds of original artwork from Amazing , F. A^, and Mammot h, Western .

# A somewhat ^parallel affair happened more or less ®P^^?° U ?nv«ded
Minneapolis, when Bob Camden, Frqnk Robinson, and Bob .Tucker invaded
'the MFS' domain for the weekend. This affair ran strongly to sessions
involving th^MFS' pet "silly stories" and a softball doubleheader in
which Robinson and Tucker hampered the "Nanks" team, while r ,^ee girls
made it an even match by playing for the "Geeps . The Geeps
' Lth Kameq 28-21, and 9-8. # In Los Angeles, the LASFS played nosi

- to thf- First. Annual West Coast Scienti-Fantasy Conference, which about
77 fans end pros attended. Held at the Park View Manor with E.- ipver-
. ett Evans as chairman, the conference got under way W1 _ tn f
"of drawings, conducted by Walt Daugherty. Torrest J Ackerman then
mounted-the platform and gave the latest news concerning the prozines.
After a break for dinner, another and more serious auction was held,

' after which the speakers, of the day were introduced Clare Winger
Harris told of her stf-writing career, explaining that she began wri
tirig stf for fun and stopped when it developed into work. Don Bratton
reviewed the history of the Fantasy Foundation and pointed out its
potentialities for a great future. Then Guy Gifford took the platform
with a serious discussion of artwork in the prozines. After a short
intermission A. E. van Vogt read's speech prepared by E. Mayne_Hull,.
who was present but too ill to. deliver the talk. Titled J Ho ^ To
Happy Even Though Married-to a SF Fan," the talk pointed out that
fans tend to ignore women, with the consequences being emotional clash-
' es over the fact that fans want to keep their collections m the liv¬
ing-room, that stf takes up too much time, etc. Ray Bradbury was up
next. In his talk he prophesied that the world of the future would be
an unpleasant one, despite the many utopian stf stories to tne contra-
ry, and said it is stf's duty to warn the public of. this fact. At tne
evening session John Scott Campbell spoke on what would result if one
were greatly increased or greatly reduced in size, how the world would
appear if one had infra-red vision, and so on. Dr. Robert & Richard¬
son spoke on astronomy, pointing out how new findings about Mars and
other planets had affected stf. # And on 12 September, in New York
City about 100 fans attended.a Science Fiction Conclave, sponsored by
the Q.SFL. F, Orlin Tremaine, former Astounding and Co m et. editor, was

EVENTS OF THE YEAR

guest of iionor, and among the speakers were Leo Margulies, .Sam Merwin,
Jr., L. Ron Hubbard, Ray Van Houten, Alvin R. Brown, and chairman Will
Sykora. Van Houten presented his pre-organizational report on the
"Merit Awards Committee" he had first proposed at the April ESFA meet¬
ing. Van Houten's report called for an organizational meeting of the
group to be held in April 1949. (Shortly before that date, the "Merit
Awards Committee" was dissolved for lack of support.) w It was an¬
nounced this month that Super Science Stories would be revived by Pop¬
ular Publications. First scheduled for publication in November, the
first issue did not make its appearance till about year's end. # Al¬
so this month, the publication of From Unknown Worlds, took place. This
was the first fantasy "annual" in more than SO years — since Gerns-
back published the only Amazing Stories Annual . # The NFFF-published
book, Dr. Keller's Sign of the Burning Hart , was delayed again, this
time by the business failure of the printer who originally contracted
to do the job.

OCTOBER

A World Science Fiction League, first advocated-by the Aussie Fu-
turians early in 1948 in The Sy dney Futuriany received . encouraging
support from the Canadian Science Fiction Association, which drafted a
provisional constitution for the WSFL and'which the Futurians publish¬
ed in the October Sy dney Futurian . The purpose of the WSFL was stated
to be "the promotion of world science fiction activities and the en¬
couragement of interest in science fiction." Although the group was
to be essentially an alliance of the national fan organisations of the
United States, Canada, Great Britain, and Australia, the provisional
constitution provided for affiliation by any national fantasy club
with a membership of 10 or more. # Sophia'and Stanley Mullen made a
vacation trip to the West Coast during October, visiting San Francis¬
co, Berkeley, Los Angeles, Alhambra, 1 South Gate, etc., meeting many
fans and authors great and.small. They attended the LASFS Halloween
party, and Stan was browbeaten by his agent, Forrest J Ackerman, into
writing more prozine fiction. # Nelson S. Bond's "The Last Outpost"
in the October Blue Book was identified as a slight rewrite of "The
Ultimate Salient," which appeared in a 1940 Planet Stories . The plot
and many of the passages were allegedly identical. $ Dr. Olaf Staple-
don, 63-year-old author of Last and First Men, The Star Maker , and
other works of philosophical science fiction, spoke on "Interplanetary

Man" before a meeting of the British Interplanetary Society. The lec¬

ture discussed possible sociological effects of space travel' arj.d the
adaptations necessary for homo sapiens to live on Jupiter and other
planets. However, he asked his audience to.consider the advisability
of putting our own planet in order before vast amounts of energy and

physical power were spent on opening the spaceways. Impressed, BIS

members concluded, "Obviously, we need philosophers in this movement
as well as dry-minded technicians." # Simon & Schuster announced
that it would publish Jack Williamson's aSF serial, "...And Searching
Mind", in book form, sometime in 1949. # At a meeting at the home of

Owen Plumridge, Mitchum, Surrey, British- fans formed the British Fan¬
tasy Society, a nationwide organization, with four subdivisions (Lon¬
don, Northern, Midlands, and Southern), each with a prominent .farita-
site in charge. A regularly appearing official organ was planned, to
be called British Fantasy News . The London Circle, though nominally

THE FANTASY ANNUAL

part of the BFS, would continue unchanged under the plan, still hold¬
ing regular meetings at the White Horse Tavern in Fetter Lane.

NOVEMBER

The Futurian Society of Sydney celebrated its ninth birthday 7
November with a meeting of .eight members at the home of director Vol
Molesworth — the turnout held' down by heavy rains. An auction of Am¬
erican stfzines and discussions of drama and politics — the latter
centering around the current coalfields, strike which had restricted
transport —"featured the seven-hour meeting. # The publishers of
the occult magazine Fate announced that they plan to issue a stf maga¬
zine in the near future. In pocketsize format, the magazine would sell
for 25$ and would feature "the best authors it is possible to obtain. "
According to Robert N. Webster, editor, the publishers "plan definite¬
ly to put out the best science fiction magazine on the market." #

Writer 1 s Markets and Methods published an article on "Ackermanese",
written by Weaver Wright at the request of G. Gordon Dewey, WM&M assoc¬
iate editor. # The 1948 Philly Conference drew 60 people from East
Coast fan centers 21 November to hear L. Sprague de Camp talk of time-
travel and fourth-dimensional themes, devoting much time to discussing
the mystery of the Versailles Gardens; and Lester del Rey speak on in¬
ternational frontiers, saying that man could not easily colonize the
planets and that if he must expand it would be easier to fix up the
Sahara Desert and similar places rather than try to build colonies on
Mars. An auction was held, after which the old silent movie, "Fall of
the House of Usher" was shown, with a fitting musical background pro¬
vided by Milt Rothman and his records. # On Thanksgiving Day, -Fred
Pohl, stf fan, writer, editor, and agent, was married to Judith Merril
of "That Only A Mother" fame. # On Thanksgiving evening Margaret O'¬
Brien starred in "The Screaming Woman," a radio play on "Suspense"
written by Ray Bradbury. # A. E. van Vogt, who has never met John- W.
Campbell, Jr., talked with him by radio on 37 November. Campbell had
recently gone on the air with his amateur radio station, W2ZGU, -and
got in touch with van Vogt through a non-fan "ham" in Los Angeles. Van
Vogt went to the "ham's" house and held a lengthy transcontinental
conversation with the aSF editor. # The Fantasy Book Club began op¬
erations around this time. Bossed by old-time fan and agent David A.
Kyle, the Club headquarters was in New York City. Functioning similar
to mundane book-of-the-month clubs, the Fantasy Book Club gave free
"dividend" books for every two books purchased — the first "premium"
volumes being- The Porcelain Magician and Pattern for Con q uest ,' both
from Gnome Press. The Club's first book selections were The Came 11 an
Cube . Skylark Three, Without Sorcery , and Slaves ' of Sleep . The Club
also published a bimonthly Bulletin , reviewing.current fantasy books
and publishing allied material. The first issue contained a "flying
disk" report culled from the newspapers. # New WoiIds #4 was rumored
being readied for issuance soon after the first of the year. This is¬
sue was being published by the fan co-operative f omed after Pendulum
gave up the magazine. # A, E. van Vogt this month began a series of
12 lectures to a "selected audience" concerning his and his wife's ex¬
periments in the field of hypnotism. Specifically, his talks dealt
with the effects of suggestion "in reorienting the body and mind as a
whole,"

EVENT S' OF • THE YEAH

DECEMBER

Britain's topnotch printed fanzine, Gillings' Fant a s y Review , ex
panded from'20 to 32 pages with its December-January 1948-49 issue. #
At the'2 December meeting of the Futurian Society of Sydney, the club
decided to suspend publication of their official organ. The Sydney Fu¬
turian. Director Molesworth suggested that this fanzine be replaced
with two magazines: a small newsletter, containing club news and al¬
lied information, and a "high-grade" magazine, published for overseas
distribution, and containing long articles, poetry, etc. # The NFii?
book, The Sign of the Burning Hart , finally appeared after almost two
years of disappointments and unavoidable delays. # In the annual N3F
elections, Dale Tarr was re-elected president; and Rick Sneary, D. 0.
Richardson, Ray C. Higgs, Arthur H. Rapp,, and Ed Cox were elected to
the directorate. Leslie Hudson was appointed secretary-treasurer and
IC. Martin Carlson Welcom chairman. # The Hydra Club of New York City

_ a club composed of present and former science fiction celebrities

-- held their annual Christmas party 26 December at the Gramercy Park
hotel, with Lester del Rey as chairman, and Fletcher Pratt, Theodore
Sturgeon, William Tenn, L. Jerome Stanton, George 0. Smith, Milton A.
Rothman, Fredric Brown, and others, on the program. # The Michigan
fans held a mid-West conference — yclept the Decori — in Detroit over
the holidays. Because of snowy weather nobody outside of Michigan —
i and Windsor, Canada — showed up, but the meeting was adjudged a suc¬
cess as a state-wide conference. The meetings were held in a basement
playroom decorated with red and green crepe paper and numerous origi¬
nals to be auctioned off. Aside from the auction, there was no formal
program, the sessions consisting mostly of informal fan-talk and beer¬
drinking. The auction netted $37.57, which pulled the MSFS out of the
red and enabled the club to buy a mimeograph. The prize of the auc¬
tion was the Lawrence cover for "Nordenholt's Million" (FFM), which
Bill Groover bought for $15. # The annual LASFS. Chri stmas party was
■ held 23 December at the home of Louise Leipiar, with 15 fans present.
Several sound movies were shown, including the March of Time concern¬
ing the Alamogordo atomic bomb. Santa Claus Ackerman passed out gifts

to everyone. Among those present were the van Vogts, Walt Daugherty,

Alan and Freddie Hershey, E. E. Evans, and A1 Ashley, tr Editor Arthur

H. Rapp announced that his popular, regularly-appearing fanzine Space-
warp would combine with Ray Nelson's Universe , beginning with the Jan-
Hiiy 1949 issue. # The final 1948 broadcast of "My Favorite Story"
on ABC featured "The Glass Eye" by John Kier Cross, from his fantasy
collection The Other Passenger . # The end of the year brought fandom
face to face with an increase in postal rates. Fourth class matter,
which went for 1 until 31 December 1948, would cost 2<p to mail after
1 January 1949. Most fanzines take advantage of fourth class rates
and would therefore be affected by this change. # As 1948 ended, Art
Rapp' made like Nostradamus and published the following prophecy for
1949 in the December Spacewarp:

- MCMXL

"Two coins, a grating, red and blue
Shall rock the mighty through and through;

When pyramids hold two mighty fen,

A revelation from a pen."

THE FANTASY ANNUAL

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT : This "Events of the Year" was culled mainly
from 1948-49 files of Bloomington News-Letter ; Fantasy Times ; The Syd¬
ney Futurian ; Shangri-L& ; Sp acewarp .; and Tymp ani ,

— R. B.

TOP FAN EVENT, 1948

1. The Torcon (34) 339

3. The Westercon (4) 80

3 . Publication of From

Unknown Worlds (3) 41

'* * * # * # * # # -x- * # * * * * -x- # -x- -x- -x-

/THE BIG POND FUND /--■$I each

With final funds collected for the "importation" of Ted Carnell
from England for the Convention, t he con t r i b u to r s read as follows:

Milton Ro thma n
EARL LEETH ($10)

Cha,s Lucas ( $2)

Walt Da.uqherty
Art Joquel
Clara 4ingsr Harris
Eric Holmes
EEEvans ($2)

Gor don Ku I I
Abby Lu Ashley
WSAck erma n

CARROLL ACKERMAN 1$5)
WENDAYNE MONDE LLE (A$5 )
Jack Speer ($3)
jean Cox

L e n Mot faff ($2)

Jack Sloan
Arthur Levine ($2)

Lee Baldwin

AI I i s on v/ i I I i.ams ($2)

Bob Madle

Jack Agnew

AMP hi I I ips C$2)

Ma r t i n AIge r
CAB r an d t

Stan Woo Isto n ($3)
Paula Vrealand ($2.)

AI a s t air Cameron
Norm S t an Iey ($2 )

Bill Rots I cr
Jno Wa s so Jn r

.Dave Mac.l nnes.

H« Alsdor f

8ob Thompson ($2)

Ossie Train

Redd Boggs

Norm an L. Knight

Rex Ward

Don Lockman

Geo Tu t I I s

He I I?n Tull?s

Kayma r Carl son { $2 )

Jfm Wi I I Jams ($31

Bob Pavlat ($2)

EBMa n s on

Bob Stein

Henry Eisner jr

Harold Cheney jr ($2)

Henry SpeI man 3rd

Andy Lyon

AI Ashley

F TL an ey

Joe Selinger

Phyllis Ann Cour tis

Art Wldner

Eve Anderton

Richard Frank

A| Lopez

Ted Schwa r tz

Al Budrys

Harry Moore ( $3.)

Ken McL a ren ($2 )

Jane Stokes
Di I I ard. St ok es
Franklin Kerkhof
Jerry Barrett
Doc Barrett
Bill Swanson
Don Grant
Don Or I in ger
David Kishi
A1 ex Os her of f ( $2 )

Tigrin a

Emanuel Staub

Julie Unger

Richard Puddy

Dale Hart

Stan Mullen

GUS WILLMOR TH ($5)

David Ack er man Kyi e
Wm G r ant
Joe Baker
John Con I on
Ma r k Wa Is te d
WSHo us ton
ERLE KORSHAK ($5)

Doc Keller
Cy n t h i a Kelley
Bob Tucker
Bob Bloch
Ned McKeown
Plus $45 collected on
.the- floor of the Torcon

ff&Mf &Ni)

In This Section :

. TOP FAN JOURNALISTS...page 30

'POLL RESULTS: TOP FANS.page S3

POLL RESULTS: FAN POPULARITY.V.page 24

TOP FAN ARTISTS...page 35

TOP FANZINES OF 1948..page 27

FAN BOOKS OF 1948.page 41

THERE was little indication of a trend in
the category of "Fan Journalists" in 1948. The
top fans were those who contributed frequently
to general fanzines and carried on considerable
activity in either theFAPA or the SAPS or both.
Thus it has been since fandom began.

In the fanzine field, a trend toward litho-
! graphed magazines was evident. The Fanscient ,

| | 1948's leading fanzine, was lithoed in a pocket-

I size format, and three others among the top 35

i were similarly reproduced, while two others were

| | printed. Mimeography still held its own.in such

| ! titans as'Dr eam Q,uest ' and Fantasy Commentator ,

I I but many potential fanzine editors were begin-

1 ning to believe that to make their creation, one

| j of the top fanzines, they must have it lithoed.

With the arrival on the scene of , several
' | fine new fantasy artists, the renaissance of fan

' art was in full swing. Such fanzines as Masque,

Fantasy Artisans , Scientifantasy , and others,
presented some of the finest fan artwork ever
produced.

As was explained elsewhere, the final re-
! suits in the Fan Journalist poll, (beginning on

| page 20) were compounded from the sum total of

i the various individuals' scores i.n all the fan

| journalist categories except fan artist, which

was handled separately.,. ##

'Ey T)onUJ,L /sen o nd

7 - 19 -

1366

TOP FAN JOURNALISTS

1. REDD BOGGS

Publisher.of the general fanzine Chronoscop e and,the Fapazine Sky
Hook , as well as co-editor of the newszine Tymp ani , which folded dur¬
ing 1948, Redd Boggs has also written dozens of articles, poems and
stories for fanzines all over the country, has been a demon correspon¬
dent (and an interesting one, as your reporter can well testify.'), and
in the summer 1948 FAPA election was named secretary-treasurer of that
organization for 1948-49. Noteworthy contributions to fanzines during
the year included his "Graters of the Moon" in Dream Quest , and his
new "File 13" column, a pillar of comment and opinion, in Sp acewarp .

2. STANLEY MULLEN 876

.Though his principal 1948 activity consisted of the publication
of his excellent Gorgon , Stan Mullen also found time to publish sever¬
al issues of his Fapazine Pri sm (which some dubbed "Gorgy, Jr"), serve
as teller in the FAPA election, write various items for other fanzines
and break into print with numberless acceptances from Planet , Super
Science Stories , etc. During the year the book Moonfoam and Sorceries
— a collection of his short stories and poems-- appeared from Gorgon
Press, receiving solid critical acclaim. Stan and Sophia Mullen visit¬
ed the West Coast late in'the year, dropping in on many fans en route
and charming most of them,, we hope, into subscribing to The Gorgon .

3. FRANCIS T. LANEY 843

Still the spearhead of the Insurgent Element, Francis T. Laney
won a high place in the ranks of fan journalists.because of his ex¬
treme versatility. He regularly publishes his Fapazine Fan-Dang o,
which runs anything and everything from witty satire through bitter
denunciations of fan institutions to Serious Constructive articles,
all of it tops in its particular field. During the year his monumen¬
tal Ah, Sweet idiocyI appeared — a work which is certain to be remem¬
bered as long as there is a fandom. Laney has been a prime mover on
the staff of Wild Hair , mouthpiece of the Insurgents, and served as
vice-president and as official editor of FAPA at various times in '48.
Although he retired from fandom several years ago, his articles ap¬
peared in Dream Quest and other general fanzines during the year.

4. DON WILSON . 800

Wilson was publisher of Dream Que st , , and in FAPA of Ego_ Beast and
Old and Rare ; writer of a series of book reviews for If) ; contributor
to numberless fanzines from coast-to-coast; heckler of Insurgents and
Serious Constructive Fans alike; author, under the byline of Gilbert
Swenson, of a series of prozine reviews in his own fanzine; and gene¬
ral nuisance to a lot of people. In FAPA his Ego_ Beast rated among the
top ten, being noted, among other things, for its extreme neatness and
profuse mailing comments. .Wilson's "Ah, Sweet Laney.’" in Howard Mill¬
er's Primal was perhaps the best critique yet directed at Laney's fan
memoirs.

20 -

TOP FAN JOURNALISTS

5. CHARLES 3URBEE - ' 752

It will sadden Chas'to rate below Ms fellow employee at tire C D
Lamoree Fibre works. Burbee is principally known as a humorist, but
be also published Burblings, .served as official. editor and later as
vice-president of tire FAPA, • wrote numerous articles for various Fapa—
zines on a wide variety of subjects,, and got in the. LASFS' nail’.
(Choose your own dirty connotations.) His chief contribution to fan-
lore during. 1948 was his long and pointed satire "Big Name Fan" in
Rotsler's Masque , but his "A1 Ashley: Galactic Observer" and. "Ethics
of Electronics" were rated by many as genuine classics of their type.•
As one Fapate says, "As long as Burb is a member, it will be wortM
while belonging to FAPA."

6. A. LANGLEY SEARLES 691

Searles is tire publisher of Fantasy Commentator , the virtual bi-
ble of fantasy bibliophiles, and is known as a penetrating and well-'
informed critic and writer on fantasy books. Although certainly not a
fan in the popular sense of the word, Searles is well known to fandom
because of his serious interest in fantasy fiction and he commands the
respect of all for the authority.in the field.and master critic that
he unquestionably is.

7. ARTHUR H. RAPP 617

One of the newer fans, Rapp (who sometimes calls himself r-tRapp)
published his popular general fanzine Sp acewarp once a month during,
all ef 1948, deluged other fanzines with his writings (most of them'of
a high quality) , was active in the. SAPS, served as chairman of the
NFFF manuscript bureau, and was elected, to the NFFF directorate late
in the year. Well known for his "Morgan Botts" sketches, a series, of
hilarious fan stories set in the future, Rapp also scored something of
a "beat" by publishing a lengthy account of his Torcon trip. less than
one week after the event. He smokes an infamous pipe which has won
him notoriety all over the United States and Canada.

8.. SAM MOSKOWITZ 558

SaM's principal activity is still the-monumental history of fan¬
dom, "The Immortal Storm", which appears serially in Searles' Fantas y

Commentator . However, he found time during 1948 to publish occasion¬
ally in FAPA and to write book reviews and articles for such fanzines
as The Fansclent and Dream Quest .

9. . DM , .x , 441'

Guiding hand behind the Northwest's PSFS, Don Day ha,s done a te.r-
rific job editing The Fansoient . Although a competent, artist and own¬
er of a fabulous card-i*dex'of prozine stories and authors, his only
other journalistic activity has been the job of publishing the occa¬
sional PSFS Bulletin , in which he, Jerry Warble, and the rest of the
PorSFans spout off in amusing fashion.

THE FANTASY. ANNUAL

403

10, JO a K-oNPiiiDY

Kennedy reduced his fan-activity to a minimum■in 1947, hut during
1940 his-Fapazine Grulzak made several appearances, and he has been
one of the most active members of the SAPS and its related social or¬
der. the Fan Spectators, He conducted a popular series of articles in
IFS, Hlusings" from the Bottom of a' Paste-pot-; and appeared intfarious
other fanzines, such as Chronoscope . Spearhead , and Dream Quest ,

11. HARRY MARKER, JR, .366

Harry Earner wrote “No Sleeping Pills Needed", a serious essay on
revision of the country's educational system, for the final Dream
Quest, and the resultant discussion promised to develop into one of
tEeTest bull-sessions fandom has seen in several years. He also pub¬
lished four issues ©f Ho rizons , his perennially excellent FAPA and

Vanguard magazine, whicHvhas missed only one FAPA mailing in 10 years,

12, GU3 UILLHORTH 303

As publisher of the Fantasy Advertiser, n the amateur professional
for professional amateurs-, Gus Nillnorth is proprietor_ of fandom's
only magazine exceeding 1000 circulation. Rather inactive in. jjAPAdm
-ing 1946, Gus'a.only other fan activity has been as an officer of the
LASFS, where he served as director and committeeman*

13. HILTON A, ROTHMAN . * 299

In addition to conducting a running controversy with pro author
Roger P. Graham both in FAPA and in Dream Quest . Lilty published his
Fapazine P lenum more or less regularly during 1943, between.studying
for and passing: exams to acquire his doctor's degree in Physics,

14. DAVID H. KELLER, H. D,

235

An example of reversal of the usual situation, Dr. Keller is a
pro-turned-fan. The Grand Old Man of fantasy has written innumerable
articles, stories and poems for innumerable fanzines, and has been in¬
terviewed for different fanzines by such persons as Paul. Spencer and
Joe'Kennedy. He has-been the center of a revival enthusiasm for bis
writings, in which he pioneered humanism In science fiction; ^-three
books from his pen appeared from the fantasy presses during 194&, and
perhaps citings by and about him exceeded in wordage those by and/or
about’ any other fantasite during the year. His Most important fan
magazine contribution in 1943 was -Shadows Over Lovecraft-, an author¬
itative study of HPL’s life, which Wr.s published in F antasy Cormienta-
tor and which bids fair to be one of" the most important articles ever
written about the Providence recluse.

15. COi PEDERSON _ 2/1

In addition to publishing IF|, the Mighty Mite of Inglewood be^
came active in FAPA and the SAPS during 1940, as well as in the LASFS,
partic larly in the General Semantics division of the latter club. He

TOP FAN POLL RESULTS

is unutterably mature in iris writings and publications for a lad of
14, is a creditable poet and artist, and in general is one of the big¬
gest fan "finds" of the last, or indeed of an£ other year.

TOP FAN POLL RESULTS

FAN

WRITERS

FAN

HUMORISTS

1 .

Redd Boggs (8)

335

1 .

Joe Kennedy (9)

337

2 .

Charles Burbee (3)

216

Charles Burbee (10)

333

Sam Moskowitz (4)

196

Bob Tucker (3)

146

Joe Kennedy (5)

189

Arthur E. Rapp (1)

146

Francis T. Laney

178

Fr,ancis T. Laney (2)

142

Harry Warner, Jr. (2)

145

Rick Sneary (4)

140

Arthur H. Rapp (3)

109

Lloyd Alpaugh, Jr. (1)

100

Milton A. Rothman (3)

Joe Schaumburger (1)

Stanley Mullen (3)

Art Widner

'63

10.

David H. Keller, M.D.

11.

Don Yfilson

FAN

EDITORS

13.

Thyril L. Ladd (3)

13.

Con Pederson

1 .

Don Wilson (7)

351

14.

Jack Speer (1)

A. Langley Searles (8)

306

Stanley Mullen (7)

305

FAN

CRITICS

Bon Day (4)

376

Redd Boggs (4)

367

Redd Boggs (6)

323

Gus Willmorth (3)

139

2 .

Francis T. Laney (4)

17 3

Arthur H. Rapp (3)

115

Jack Speer (3)

170

Walter Gillings (2)

'105

4..

A. Langley Searles (3)

167 '

Con Pederson

103

Sam Moskowitz (6)

154

10.*

Francis T. Laney (l)

• 66

6 .

Philip Cray (5)

113

11.

Joe Kennedy

Don Wilson (l)

13.

Charles Lee Riddle (3)

8*.

Harry Warner, Jr. (3)

Milton A. Rothman

FAN

publishers

10.

Charles Burbee (1)•

11.

Thyril L. Ladd (3)

Stanley Mullen (7)

286

12 .

Virginia K. E. Blish (l)

A. Langley Searles (4)

318

Thomas S. Gardner

Redd Boggs (4)

306

14.

Joe Kennedy

Don Wilson (4)

196

15.

Stanley Mullen

Don Day (4)

165

Gus Willmorth (3)

164

FAN

FICTIONI STS

Francis T, Laney (2)

106

Walter Gillings (1)

1 .

Redd Boggs (7)

250

James V. Taurasi

2 .

Stanley Mullen (4)

153

Arthur H. Rapp (4)

151

FAN

ARTICLE WRITERS

Con Pederson (3)

106

David H.Keller , M.D. (3) .

105

1 .

Sam Moskowitz (7)

208

Len J. Moffatt (1)

2 .

Redd Boggs (6)

186

Charles Burbee (3)

Francis T. Laney (1)

179

E. Everett Evans (1)

Joe Kennedy (1)

163

Miles Eaton (1)

Harry Warner, Jr. (1)

137

THE FANTASY ANNUAL

FAN ARTICLE WRITERS (Continued).

Milton A. Rothman (1)

131

10.' Arthur H. Rapp (3)

Thyril L. Ladd (l)

101

11. Don Wilson

Phil Rasch (5)

100

12. Charles Burbee (1)

David H, Keller, M.D.

100

■» *

# * *'■'*'# * ■» * * *

FAN POPULAR!

BEST FANS OF 1948

WORST FAN'S OF' 1948*

1 .

Redd Boggs (.3)

173

1, Paul D. Cox (3)

2 .

Don Wilson (3)

146

. 3. Bob Farnham (3)

Rick Sneary (3)

146

3. Ray Higgs (1)

Arthur H. Rapp (2)

4, VaUghn G-reene (3)

Forrest J Ackerman (l).

5. Edwin Sigler (1)

San Moskowitz . (4)

Joe Kennedy (l)

* In determining the top fans

Don Day (1)

- 74

1948, each person's "worst fan"

Charles Burbee (4)

votes were subtracted from

his

10.

, A. Langley Searles (l)

cummulative total.

K. Martin Carlson (1)

— D. W.

TOP FAN ARTISTS

1, JOHN GROSSMAN

(9)

385;

John Grossman, 15 years old, of Des Moines, is possessed of the
greatest artistic ability that fandom has seen in many a moon. Most
often heard of in the company of his buddy Bill Kroll, with whom he
co-edits that stellar fanzine Scientifantasy , Grossman has presented
his admirers with a gallery of skillfully done science fiction draw¬
ings of the "pure" variety in that magazine, and in many others. His
gadgetry is comparable to Frank R. Paul’s, and Hannes Bok has stated
that certain of Grossman's pix equal those cf Virgil Finlay. His care¬
fully done artwork takes best to lithography, but has appeared in
mimeo and ditto as well. Though they sometimes suffer in reproduction
they are almost universally of topmost pro quality.

3. WILLIAM ROTSLER (6) 375

Rotsler, who is FAPA's leading artist, is as opposite of Grossman
as one can imagine. Seldom does he carefully work on a single picture;
rather he turns out artwork by the bale — small, clever sketches de¬
picting grotesque and often appealing denizens of another dimension,
large-eyed kangaroo-like entities and the like, such as never imagined
before even by Disney. In his own fanzine Masque , the Amiable Bull¬
dozer .(a moniker tagged to Bill by Cy Condra) has presented consider¬
able experimental artwork, using various methods and techniques and
featuring Caniffian damsels and picaresque appurtenances. He has al¬
lied himself with the Insurgent Element, illustrating Wild Hair , as
well as other FAPA publications, such as Ego Beast and Sky Hook .

3. D. BRUCE BERRY (6) 353

A newspaper artist and the "find” of the Portland group, Berry
has drawn lovely covers for The Fanscient and Alien Culture , and other
fanzines. His name is not generally known in fandom yet, and the fact
that new as he is he was able to rate in the third place proves that
his popularity will rapidly grow.

4. HOWARD MILLER (5) 344

"Banning's leading FAPA member" is one of fandom's top mimeo-art
exponents, having the knack of combining his artistic talents with a
stencilling technique perhaps unparalleled'in the present-day field.
His many fine mimeo pix have appeared in Dream Q,Uest , Moonshine , Eg<q
Beast , Old and Rare , etc. He also did a fine cover for The Gorgon ;
In addition to being publicly announced as active in the NFFF, LASFS
and Outlanders, Miller is connected with the Fantasy Artisans and is
reputed to be an avid foe of F. Towner Laney.

35 -

■

THE FANTASY ANNUAL

5. DON DAY (S) 167

Day's popularity in the fan artist category stems mostly from his
series in The Fanscient of illustrations for The Rubaiyat of Omar Khay ¬
yam , but he has done various other forms of .artwork, mostly for The
Fanscient — which he also edits — excelling in his portrayal of nude
females. 1

6 . ROY HUNT (3) 135

An oldtime fan artist, Roy Hunt still rates high in the field as
a result of his sterling efforts, in The Gorgon and Fantasy Review . Dur¬
ing the year Hunt did several book jackets for FPOI, as well as covers
for Fantasy Book .

7. RUSS MANNING (l) 103.

Another of the Fantasy Artisans, Russ Manning, is one of the lead¬
ing lights in the 1948 renaissance of fan art. Eis artwork appeared
in many fanzines, and was featured in Masque in FAPA when he began at¬
tending the same Los Angeles art school where William Rotsler was a
student.

BILL KROLL * • (l) 103

The other half of the Scientifantasy combination, Bill Kroll is
a talented artist in his own right, contributing to various fanzines
and specializing in some of the weirdest BEMs ever dreamed up.

9. JOE GROSS 91

Joe Gross is the knocked-out artist of the SAPS set, contributing
his somewhat wacky artwork to various SAPSzines, including Yellum ,
which in its FAPA edition presented several of his covers to the seni¬
or ayjay society.

10. JERRY WAIBLE (4) 73

One of the talented PorSFan artists, Vfaible has shown his_ versa¬
tility by contributing both cartoons and serious artwork to The Fan¬
scient , achieving striking results in both cases.

TOP FANZINES OF 1948

1 . THE FAN8CIENT (Don Day/Tile PorSFans) (6). 1017

Tiie Fanscient , official organ of the Portland Science Fantasy
Society, published four issues during. 1948, adhering closely to a reg¬
ular quarterly schedule. It was and is edited by Donald B. Day, the
founder and chairman of this comparitive baby among local fan clubs.
Day was assisted by an editorial board composed of PorSFans members
Joe Salta, Gerald Waible, Ralph Rayburn Phillips, Moe Higbee, and Don
Berry.

Fanscient is not a fanzine which*builds its reputation on a care¬
fully established policy of all bibliographical material, all stefnal,
no fiction allowed, or the like. In its pages can be found material
ranging from serious articles on fantasy greats through serious fic¬
tion and poetry down to humor and satire.

Fanscient 1 s Winter 1948 issue, published in half-lettersize form¬
at, was pa-rtly mimeographed and partly lithoed. With the Spring issue,
the magazine changed to. a radically different makeup, heretofore un¬
used in fan publications — 5 A» x 4£",. entirely lithographed. This
new format was successful, and caught on to the extent that it already
is being imitated by other fanzines, notably Scienti fantasy .

Outstanding material published by Fanscient in its 1948 issues
included a series of essays on.such fantasy greats as George Allan
England and Robert W. Chambers, by Thyril L. Ladd. These articles dis¬
cussed little-known works by the masters and explored various aspects
of the authors' writings. In the Winter 1948 issue appeared Forrest
J Ackerman's "The First Fan Magazine" — a brief article on The Time
Traveler which included two amusing briefs by Allan Glasser reprinted
from that fanzine whose memory is now lost in the mists of antiquity..
Other articles run in 1948 included David H. Keller's "What Price
Beauty?" and Paul H. Klingbiel's "A Partial Introduction to General
Semantics" in the Spring number; "A Legend of Interplanetary" by Neil
R. Jones, which explained the future history background of that wri¬
ter's Durna Rangue and Machine Men of Zor tales, in the Summer issue;
and "Extrapolation", by Henry Kuttner, a rather weird bit of humor
which explored the future of science fiction and weird fiction and the
end .of magazine stef in the year 1958.

One of Fanscient ' s regular departments is "Author, Author.'", in
which various contemporary science fiction giants discuss their lives
and in which is run a complete list of the published stefnal/fantastic
works of each of them. Covered in 1948 installments of this series
were Edmond Hamilton, Edward E. Smith ph.D. , Jack YVilliamson, and Dr.
David H. Keller. Also printed more or less regularly are cartoons by
Waible and Kroll, and Day's series'of illustrations for The Rubaiyat .

Fanscient is notable as one of the few sources of worthy fan
science fiction. Such stories as Dorothy and John de Courcy's "Apoca¬
lypse" in the Winter issue; Len Moffatt's "Early Butchering", a poet-^
atomblast tale in the Spring number; and various offtrail fiction by

- 37 -

28 THE FANTASY ANNUAL

F. Lee Baldwin, Don Day, Miles Eaton,-and others, have livened up this
fanmag 1 s pages to a considerable degree.

Fanscient is outstanding in the field of artwork. Virtually ev¬
ery article or story it runs is illustrated by a leading artist — of¬
ten of professional quality, though of fan standing. Likewise, Fan¬
scient 1 s cartoons,, photographs of authors, and fine cover illustra¬
tions are virtually unique in the fan field.

To sum it up, the PorSFans and Don Day have presented in this
sterling little fanzine a unique contribution to the field and one
which will take its place as one of the outstanding fan publications
in many years. Fanscient is a must for anyone who is seriously inter¬
ested in fan publications.

2. ~DREAM QUEST (Don Wilson) (7) 946

Though DQ folded during the course of 194$, producing no issues
after its sixth number which appeared in July, the heavy vote given it
..indicates that it has not been forgotten.

Edited by Don Wilson ail'd published by Wilson and Howard Miller in
^standard mimeographed 8-g-" x 11" format, Dream Quest produced three is¬
sues in 1948. Additionally, a small supplement entitled Op inion ,
which consisted of the results of the 1947 Dreamland Opinionator poll,
was distributed with, the April issue (#5).

Dream Quest never had any set policy. It normally went in most
heavily for serious material — but published Arthur H. Rapp's "Soma
Fun, Hey Keed?", a humorous account of the. true nature of the soma
juice given fannish popularity through Margaret St. Clair's stories in
TWS. It normally' published no fiction — but ran Redd Boggs 1 "The
Craters of the Moon" in its final issue. Serious articles ranged from
bibliographical fantasy material to' sociological and political dis¬
cussions. DQ had only one standard for material during its brief life¬
time: that it be interesting, discussable, and of better than average

quality. No limitations were placed on subject matter.

The outstanding piece in #4 (January 1948) was Sam Moskowitz's
, "The Old Familiar Faces." This article, which was reprinted from an
undistributed'issue of Julius Unger's Fantasy Fiction Field , was a
literary and- bibliographical description of pre-Arkham House smalltime
fantasy publishing. Also in this issue were Rex Ward's "Let's Turn the
Calendar Back...", the second instalment of an abortive series which
compared today's magazine s-f with that of several' years ago; Rog Phil¬
lips' "Where To, Science Fiction?"; and an analytical book review of
More's Utopia by Henry Eisner, Jr. The #5 issue led off with Robert
L. Stein's "The Stein Utopia,", a'brief article on Stein's ideas of a
perfect world which proved to be.one of the most popular items DQ ever
published. The second lead item in this issue (dated April 1948) was
Francis T. Laney 1 s "Histomap of Fandom", a detailed' historical chart
of fannish progress from earliest times to the present day. Articles
, on • a variety of subjects by Thyril L. Ladd, Art Rapp, Milton A. Roth¬
man, Hqnry T. Simmons, and Gordon Elliott rounded out the issue.

TOP FANZINES OF 1948

Regular departments of DQ consisted of "Pro-Phile", a more or
less complete and exhaustive report on current prozines which up till
issue #5 was written by Gilbert Swenson; "Cave of the Winds", DQ' s
outstanding letter department; and the editor's "Gas Jet." Verse ap¬
peared regularly, written by many different fan poets.

DQ' s last and greatest issue was #6, dated July 1948. Its 48 pa¬
ges were loaded with outstanding material, decorated with fine artwork,
supplemented by good departments. The lead item, and the finest sin¬
gle piece presented in any issue of DQ and an alltime great piece of
fan writing, was Redd Boggs' story of a science fiction fan club's re¬
action to the first lunar landing, "The Craters of the Noon." This
story was true fan fiction, was beautifully written, and received the
praises of everyone who read it, even from such iconoclasts as Fran
Laney. "Craters" was ably backed by Joe Kennedy's report of a weekend
he spent with one of fantasy's greats, "Keller: Down-To-Earth Dream¬
er"; Harry Warner's "No Sleeping Pills Needed", a serious essay on de¬
fects in our educational system and possible improvements therein;
"Pro-Phile", this time written by Redd Boggs; and two new review de¬
partments, "In Arkham House" by Philip Gray, and Alori Dannur's "Mind
Worlds".

DQ never ran a litho in its entire history, but compensated for
this by publishing some really outstanding mimeograph artwork, done by
Howard Miller, John Grossman, Bob Stein, and other artists.

3. FANTASY COMMENTATOR (A. Langley Searles) (8) -931

providing a direct contrast to. the #1 and #3 place winners, this
publication founds its reputation upon extreme specialization. Fan¬
tasy Commentator is probably the most serious and scholarly fanzine of
all time. It devotes.it self to the fantasy field as a literary form,
publishing serious essays on fantasy and, less often, science fiction.

Editor A. Langley Searles receives a large percentage of FO's
material from his staff of contributing editors — William H. Evans,
Thyril L. Ladd, Sam Moskowitz, Matthew Onderdonk, Darrell C. Richard¬
son, and Richard Witter. Other heavy contributors to FCM s pages dur¬
ing 1948 included David H. Keller, M.D., George T. Wetzel, and F. Lee
Baldwin.

In addition to its regular departments, Fantasy Commentator runs
several items classified under the heading "articles" that appear reg¬
ularly. The best-known of these is Sam Moskowitz's "The Immortal
Storm", an immense article which attempts to give the history of fan¬
dom from the earliest times. This article has reached its 14th in¬
stalment and is still going strong, having reached 1938. SaM's his¬
tory is notable for the terrific amount of research, labor, and detail
embodied in it. Various people have criticized "The Immortal Storm"
for over-emphasis on events in wnich Moskowitz has had a personal part,
triviality, and the like, but no one has been able to deny the work's
foundation in accuracy and its withal honest slant.

Each issue of Fantasy Commentator is distinguished by its amazing
quantity of scholarly and erudite articles on all branches of the fan-

THE FANTASY ANNUAL

tasy field. The Winter issue (Vol. II, #5) included guch a diversified
array of .fine material as "This Is About Ray Cummings", an interview
by Thyril L.' Ladd; Evans' "Fantasy .in All-American Fiction »; Darrell
0. Ri chard son.' s "Little Known Fantasy" — the first instalment of a
new series describing obscure and little-known books; "Something About
Vampires", a. short article on the lore of these mythical creatures by
George T. Wetzel; and part 10 of "The Immortal Storm." In addition,
that issue ran four Joseph Krucher lithos as illustrations for George
Sterling's poem, "A Wine of Wizardry."

More lithos were run in the Spring issue, this time a Krucher’ on :
the theme (taken from Lovecraft.) "Erich Zann was a genius of wild pow¬
er!', and three photos of Lovecraft and his family. Lovecraft figured
heavily in this issue (as he does frequently in EC's pages): Sam Mos-
kowitz discussed "John Buchan: A Possible Influence on Lovecraft",
Darrell C. Richardson dug out an ancient HFL letter of comment to the
editors of All-Story Weekly , and F. Lee Baldwin contributed "Some Love¬
craft Sidelights." Also in the issue, in addition to the regular his¬
tory instalment and "Tips on Tales", a. department of brief reviews of
old fantasy books done this time by Ladd, Matthew H. Onderdonk. wan the
author of an article on "H. P. Lovecraft Versus the 'Realists' of Fan¬
tasy", "Charon — In Reverse."

In Vol. II, No. 7, appeared one of FC' s major items,"Shadows Over
Lovecraft," by David H. Keller, M. D. In this • long and carefully
worked out piece, Dr. Keller analysed Lovecraft's life and writings
from a medical and psychiatric point of view. Paul Spencer's "Music
in the Wilderness" dealt with the unpublished novels of Dr. Keller —
one of the more outstanding articles coming out of the "Keller craze"
of 1948, Thyril L. Ladd asked "Did Lovecraft Miss This?" talking a-
bout a 19S1 novel of Lovecraftian theme and treatment^ Regularly ap¬
pearing material rounded out' the issue.

In the Fall number (Vol. II, No. 8), all six of FC'S talented con¬
tributing editors were represented. Evans handled two of his regular
columns, turning in an instalment of the too-long-absent "Thumbing
the Munsey Files" and the extremely long "Fantasy in Pop ular Magazine".
Onderdonk, perhaps the most erudite of the Commentator 1 s regular con¬
tributors, was the author of "In A Glass—Darkly", which your reviewer
must confess provided tough going for him. Moskowitz's serial filled
out a good portion of the issue, as did an article on Talbot Mundy by
Richardson and Richard Witter's coverage of the famous "Polaris" tri¬
logy of Charles B. Stilson, ■ Also in .this issue was an index to volume
two of Fantasy Commentator , and "An Analytical Approach to the Super¬
natural Horror Tale" by 'Wetzel. Ladd handled "Tips on Tables" again.

No mention has been made of "This-'n'-That", Searles 1 quarterly
listing of all new fantasy books; and book reviews of the most in¬
teresting of these, done by Searles, Charles Peter Brady, Moskowitz,
and others.

Fantasy Commentator is an absolute must for anyone interested in
fantasy from a literary viewpoint. Its scholarly articles and erudite
reviews remain unique in the entire field, and Searles deserves great
credit for setting and keeping such consistently high standards.

TOP FANZINES OF 1948
4. THE GORGON (8) 906

The fact that only two of 1948's top five fanzines were printed
in 8-g-xll" mimeographed format — once considered standard for fanzines
-- doubtless symbolizes some sort of trend. Gorgon, which has a cir¬
culation of 500 and is multilithed with a half-legalsize format, is
not much similar to most fanzines, and has been called a "semipro"
more than once.

Stanley Mullen does not limit The Gorgon to straight stefnal and
fantasy material. He runs off trail articles and poems, fiction of all
varieties, material by his own special circle of contributors — such
pros and people who have the most tangential connection with the fan
field as Shan Nosgorov, Archie Musick, and Landed1 Bartlett. Up until
the end of Volume I, No. 1 (March-April 1948.) Gorgon had a stock cover
design done by Roy Hunt. With that issue, the transition . from ditto
to multilith was partially completed. Beginning with Vol. 2, #1 Gor¬
g on began using a different cover on each issue — an idea welcomed by
many. The first of these new covers was done by Howard Miller and the
second (on the Vol. 2, No. - 3)-by Roy Hunt.

Today The Gorgon remains in its half-legal sized, format and runs
from 60-80 pages per issue. It is multilithed and varityped, ■ and
while it is not always either perfectly printed or entirely free of
typos, it is always readable.

Vol. I #6 (January 1948) featured Shan Nosgorov's "The Shadow Wo¬
man", a good weird tale., and also included David H. Keller's psychiat¬
ric tale "The Killer", Lee Beecher's fascinating essay "Haunted Mines"
and verse by. various people. Two. of Gorgon's most popular features
are "Denver Doings", a column wherein Bob Peterson resumes the doings
of the Colorado Fantasy Society, and "The Devil You Say" — the latter
a letter column. And running fairly regularly is "Sidelights on the
Merrittales", by Phil Rasch — a series of articles providing much
interesting background information and true lore back of the Lord of
Fantasy's npvels. The January instalment (#3) of this series con¬
cerned the Rrllya, those dwarf people who figured prominently in Mer¬
ritt's "Dwellers in the. Mirage."

Vol. I #7 (March-April) made use of .the varityper, and it was
partially dittoed and partially multilithed. "Operation Venus" by Lan-
dell Bartlett, was part of a series begun years ago in the old Gerns-
back series of premium booklets issued as a supplement to Amazing
Stories . This series provided interesting reading, but never attained

a terrific literary quality. Rasch', s series on j the Merrittales con¬
tinued fascinating as usual — this time giving the'dope on the facts
behind "Ys and Carnac", which figured in "Creep, Shadow. 1 " An accom¬
panying map of the territory added interest. Also in this issue was a
somewhat juvenile parody on Moskowitz's "The Immortal Storm" ■— "The
Immoral Storm", by Joe Kennedy,, a history of butterfly fandom. Lean-

der Frankus discussed "Fandom 1 s Dealers"., and poetry and lithos were
contributed by Lloyd Arthur Eshbach, Shan Nosgorov, and Roy Hunt.

Vol. II, #1, altered on the outside by the addition of a new cov¬
er design, completed the transition and was entirely multilithed. The.

THE FANTASH ANNUAL

newest Rasch contribution, this time on "The Kraken", was illustrated
by Roy Hunt, with a litho of Khalk'ru. William Walrich, known in Es-
.quire as well as Gorgon, was the autnor of a story called "T h i s
Will Flay You"— a contribution that was liked by many. Another

piece of fiction was by Alex Saunders —.J.'Truth^Gas. " A scanning of
V 2 #l’s contents page reveals a larger than usual number of poems and
pictures — Joseph B. Baker, Alvin "Another" Laney, R. Flavie Carson,
Virgil Utter, Lee Beecher,. Theophilus Alvor, and Justin Herman being
represented by poems and cuts. An instalment of "The -Ebony Tower,"
Jack Riggs' checklist of the works of John W. Campbell Jr., a few pho¬
tos of Gorgon contributors, and Marion Zimmer's article on her concep¬
tion of "The Ultimate Fanzine'!, filled out the issue.

Vol. Two, #2 (which like V 2 #1 was undated) announced its cir¬
culation as 500 (in contrast, Dream Quest 's circulation never got much
above 150) and led off with a guest editorial by Chicago dealer Joseph
B. Baker. Baker discussed meetings of fans with quote normals un¬
quote. Additional fan-fantasy features consisted of "West Coast S-F
Conference", a coverage of this meeting by Phil Rasch; "The Ebony Tow¬
er"; tne letter column; and further pictures of contributors to the
magazine. Rasch's "Sidelights'on the Merrittales" this time was about
"The Face in the Abyss", and- Paul O'Connor contributed a fine article
on the late Lafcadio Hearn.

To sum it up:. Gorgon is more than just a fanzine, even more than
a fantasy amateur journalistic publication. It often runs material by-
professionals and ex-professionals — literary short stories and po¬
ems. Its artwork is more often than not professional in quality and
reproduction. Occasionally fan stuff is found in Gorgon , but.not of¬
ten. And your reviewer must confess that he has found that which did
appear of a surprisingly low quality.

Much of Gorgon 's appeal lies in its large size, readability, and
popular slant, though it does present a terrific amount of fine mate¬
rial and is easily one of the half dozen fanzines essential to a cov¬
erage of the field today. '

5. FANTASY. ADVERTISER (Gus WUlmorth) (3) ,601

Fan Ads , published by Gus Willmorth of Los Angeles, calls, itself
"the amateur professional for professional amateurs." Editorial ma¬
terial is presented only to round out issues and supplement the adver¬
tising content. Circulation is more than 1000, ad rates are fairly
reasonable though not. by any means fantastically low, and reproduction
(FA is professionally lithographed) is the finest in the field.

FA produced five issues during 1948. From January to July Gus
was abTe to- follow faithfully a regular bimonthly schedule. But dif¬
ficulties beset him, and another issue did not appear till December.
In addition to ads (many of which are as interesting reading as the
articles) 1948 issues of FA presented such material as ."The Shaver
Series as Literature", by Thomas H. Carter, an article wnich impressed
this reviewer as a lot of good writing and resea.rcn wasted on a total¬
ly .worthless subject; "The Technique of Fantasy Collecting", by Samuel

TOP FANZINES OF 1948

A. Peeples; "Of Death & Destruction", by Fred Brown, which discussed
fantasy novels on that theme; "Fantasy in Germany", by Julian Parr;
"W. Paul Cook", a memorial of this famous ay jay publisher 'by Earle
Cornwall; "The Whit.con", coverage of the British convention by J. New¬
man; "Seven Footprints to Merritt", by Tom Carter; "Torcon" by Foo Ev¬
ans; and "The Ships of Ishtar", in which G. Gordon Dewey, a noted
collector of the works of Merritt, described all the editions Merritt's
"Ship of Ishtar" has been published in. Columns included Walt Leib-
scher's "Of Nova Tomes" — quickie reviews of new fantasy books; "Fan-
kind's Fanzines", reviews of the fanzines by RAElcun; etc.

Casually interested borderliners as well as actifans will find FA
of very considerable interest and value.

6. CHRONOSCOPE (Redd Boggs) (3) 523

Ron is Redd Boggs' new general fanzine. It got off to an auspic¬
ious start by publishing as its sole 1948 issue a #1 that was fully
the equal of any Dream Quest but #6. The official successor to DQ, it
carries on in the tradition of such famous fanzines of the past as
Sp aceway s, Fantasite , Acolyte , and Scientifictionist . Your reviewer
confesses a certain prejudice in favor of this type of fanzine — ser¬
ious but not too scholarly, interesting, informative, permanently in¬
teresting and valuable, competently edited and with fine material,

Chronoscop e #1 was called "the rainbow fanzine" because of the
many different colors of paper used therein. It featured "My Five
Book Shelf" — Dr. Keller's idea of his-five favorite books. Other
outstanding articles were "Which Leg Moves After Which?", by Donn Bra¬
zier; "Living and Writing Science Fiction", by one of the first female
stef authors, Lilith Lorraine (who today is noted for her publication
of Different , a "little magazine" which publishes a certain amount of
stef and stefnal poetry); Art Rapp's "Flaming Fans", an analysis of
what makes fans what they are; "You Can't Judge A Book -- " by Joe
Kennedy, a fairly interesting dissertation on prozine covers; and
Paul H. Klingbiel's unclassifiable "Introduction to Elliptical Logic."

"The Fantasy Bookshelf" is a regular department of book reviews .
Ren also runs poetry, and has fallen heir to two of Dream Quest ' s most
outstanding departments — Philip Gray's "In Arkham House" and "Pro-
Phi le", the popular column of prozine reviews.

7. FANTASY REVIEW (Walter H. Gillings) (4) - 481

I aim going to throw editorial caution to the wind here and insert
opinion into this listing: Wilson thinks the Fantasy Review should
have rated at least in the top three. We must admit, however, that
this magazine does not, because it is published in England, reach a
large audience, arid also it is conceivable that many people rate it a
semipro.

Excuses or not, however, Gillings' Fantasy Review can't be forced
into a back seat by any of our current fanzines, or by very many all-

« .v ^ &V -V.‘ .4-*aJkfe*? . .*<-*a1 •«

THE FANTASY ANNUAL

timers. Erie Korshak has called FR the best fanzine, of all time.!
The Review reprints the best articles from American fanzines. It cov¬
ers the prozine field in America and Britain. It digs up items of
interest from all over the world, its printed format is the best
in the field. Its book reviews are 'unequalled, except perhaps occas¬
ionally by Fantasy Commentator . Its editorial slant is the most ma¬
ture of any fanzine.

Up until its Dec '48-Jan '49 (Vol. II, No. 13) issue, when it en¬
larged to 33 pages and upped the price to a shilling, the Review was a
30-page, half-letters!zed publication selling for sixpence (T50 in
the United States and Canada). It is published bimonthly on schedule.

Regular features, in addition to book reviews, include "Among the
Magazines", reviews of current prozines by Kenneth Slater; "Fantasia",,
editor Callings' commentary on current fantasy happenings; "Fantasy
Forum", a letter column this year taken up largely by a continuation
of the interminable Derleth-Moskowi.tz debate. "About Books", authored
from time to time by different British critics., discusses trends and
opinions in the fantasy publishing field.

The first 1948 issue, numbered Vol; II, No. 7'and dated Feb.-Mar.
1948, led off with Arthur F. Hillman's "35 Years of Weird Tales " —
an article commemorating that magazine's 35th anniversary and describ¬
ing its long, sometimes distinguished, sometimes mediocre history.
Also in this issue, Frank Edward Arnold wrote about fantasy films, and
the editor contributed a memoriam of Arthur Machen. The issue was
filled out by excellent book reviews by such men as D. R. Smith, Nigel-
Lindsay, Arthur F. Hillman, and others.

In the Apri1-May number, Forrest J Ackerman quoted a writers'
magazine that science fiction is no longer taboo material in the
slicks, D. R. Smith wrote on "The Admirable Weinbaum", and Thomas
Sheridan interviewed "Galactic Roamer" E. E. Smith, Ph.D. More than
half of each issue is filled with the critical material for which Gal-
lings' crew of contributors is so well noted.

Vol, II, No. 9 (Jyne-July 1948) revealed a "New Worlds' Crisis"
— the suspension of England's prozine, New Worlds . A scheme was de¬
vised whereby fans could buy shares in a new publishing company orgaft-
ized for the purpose of putting out this prozine. Thomas Sheridan
started telling "The Story of Astounding », bringing up the magazine's
history to the end of F. Orlin Tremaine's editorship, Geoffrey Giles
wrote "About Books", and all the regular material was present.

j "The Bronx Jeer" was the lead article of the August-September is¬
sue. This item by Eric Frank Russell deals with Charles Fort and For-
teanism. Thomas Sheridan completed "The Story of Astounding" in this
number, and the rest of the issue consisted of reviews and features.

"Bob Frazier Recalls the First of the Fantastics" in 'Vol. 3 #11; -
this article, reprinted from the' American fanzine Necromancer , dis¬
cussed the Frank Reads Library -- a prozine of the preWWl period which
made Tom Swift and Mutan Mion look silly. This was the sole article
in the issue which was not classifiable as "regular".

TOP.FANZINES OF 1948

The new large size (32 pages) promises to alleviate this diffi
culty of shortness of space for articles. Tne first issue in the new

size, decked out with a new (and overprinted) cover design and priced

at tne shilling rate, had several articles - "Science Fiction: the

World's Nightmare.'", which was taken from the Lite rat urn ay a G-azyeta
(not The Arkham Sampler.') and described the utterly Dourgeois and
imperialistic state of American fantasy. A Merwin editorial was re¬
printed: "Authors Have a Power Complex". Sheridan continued his series
with "The Story of Wonder "; a lecture by Stapledon was reported upon;
a page was devoted to Richard S. Shaver's editorial comments in his
Shaver club magazine; Forrest J Ackerman reported an interview with
Edgar Rice Burroughs; and the issue was filled with the usual material.

■ Though it i_s trouble to fill out an International Money Order ap¬
plication, American fans should latch onto this one. If.Erie Korshak
says Fantasy Review makes Fantasy Magazine pale in comparison, it must
have something.

8. IFJ (Con Pederson) 433

This new fanzine, edited by 14-year-old Californian Con Pederson,
sprang onto the fan field unawares in early 1948, and with virtually
no publicity soon took a place among the leaders. Material is regu¬
larly run by Wilson, Kennedy, and Keller, and others have contributed
off and on to IFJ 1 s half-lettersize dittoed pages.

IF. 1 ' s first issue, dated January 1948, had a good cover drawn by
Pederson himself, and ran several fictional items, "A Touch of Humor
Does It" by Joe Kennedy, a review of The Mightiest Machine by Don Wil¬
son, and a humor item called "Which I Drank".

IFJ caught on in a hurry, and #2, with another Pederson cover,
began a new Kennedy column, "Musings from the Bottom of a Paste Pot",
in which JoKe discussed various stefnal topics of interest to him —
and made them of interest to the rest of us by his method of writing
them up. Don Wilson intemperately dumped fuel on the Derleth contro¬
versy, wnamming the Sauk City publisher in "Triteness and Mr. Der¬
leth". IFJ , in this issue as well as in all others, run a number of
items which, though too minor to rate a detailed review, made interes¬
ting reading.

David H. Keller'’s "T^e Question of Plots" led off #3. In this
article, the Doc very commendably had the guts to slam pro editors who
set science fiction back by their refusal to accept stories with new
plots. Wilson reviewed Tri planet ary , and other 'material was pres -
ented by Don Hutchison, editor Pederson, and others.

#4 led off with Ackerman's "sandmanuscript" about a dream he had;
Wilson contributed still another book review, this time of Wandrei's
The Web of Easter Island . The issue was filled out with small items.

IFJ regrettably folded soon after year's end. Its loss will be
felt, for it was one of those essential items to a balanced fan press,
the excellent small fanzine.

THE FANTASY ANNUAL

9. SOIENTIFANTASY (Bill Kroll/john Grossman) 355

This fanzine, like Ron , only produced one issue in 1948, but this
issue apparently was able to attract widespread attention, even from
the oldtimers. Though its material was the opposite of noteworthy
(with the exception of an interesting article on werewolves by Tom .Car¬
ter, it' consisted mainly of old dogs by famous fans) it did present
some of the finest artwork ever seen in fandom.

SciFan is identical in format with Fanscient . And being edited
by two talented young artists, John Grossman, and Bill Kroll, it^ is
probably able to give the finest presentation to material in fan his¬
tory. The fate of this magazine rests with the outsiders — if they

deign to contribute fine material it will make a go; otherwise - no

fanzine', beautiful as it may be, can stand on artwork alone.

10. SKY HOOK (Redd Boggs) 276

Redd Boggs' Fapazine is probably one of the outstanding magazines
in that organization, and its four issues of 1948 were filled with in¬
teresting stuff — Redd's editorial column,. "Twippledop"; quotes from
al‘1 over; mailing comments; book reviews.by Ladd and others; poetry by
Boggs'and others; artwork mostly, by Bob'Stein and William Rotsler; and
trivia, such as some very sterling interlineations. SkKk is not avail¬
able to outsiders; if you wish to read it you must get in the swim and
join, the FAPA where,'like other old fans, you will go to die.

11. PEON (Charles Lee. Riddle,-PNl,, USN) (1) 243

This combination letterzine-generalzine is edited by navy man
Charles Lee Riddle, and presents legibly and neatly, interesting and
gmusing fiction, articles, letters, and fillers by fans big and small.
Perhaps it could be'called one of the half-dozen successors to Fandom
Sp eaks , though it is not a letterzine in the true sense of the word
and goes in more heavily for the general slant than for the letter
slant.

12. SPACEWARP (Arthur H. Rapp) (2) S25

"Fandom's top monthly", edited by Arthur H. Rapp, adhered to a
more regular schedule during 1948 than any other fanzine of the ye'ar,
and perhaps of many years. At first hektoed, Warp began to use a mimeo
during the year, and though mimeoing on hekto paper was not exactly as
the ghods of publication would have intended it, this was at least dis¬
tinctive. Among this fanzine’s outstanding features was a round-robin
fan yarn, "The Great Stf Broadcast", which galumphed through nine in¬
stalments, each written by a different fan, before slamming to a close
in a welter of inner-circle gags and heavy science. Wilkie Conner and
Ben Singer contributed various controversial articles; Art Rapp con¬
tinued the "Morgan Botts" series, and published otner Rapp scripts
including "The Armchair Fortean Discusses Arson", one of his best ef¬
forts; and William James presented two superior fantasies in the tra-

TOP FANZINES OF 1948

ditlonal Lovecraft vein... Topped off with departments such as Boggs'
"File 13 ,r ; Rapp's "Timber]'' editorial; "The Psycho Lab"; and a letter
section, Sp acewarp was easily one of the most diverting fanzines of
the year.

13. FANTASY TIMES (James V. Taurasi) 193

The only regularly appearing newszine in fandom during 1948, Fan¬
tasy Times maintained a monthly schedule till November, when it became
a biweekly. In all its 13 issues of 1948 the publication featured
many .columns of spot news of fan and pro affairs, well-balanced with
reviews of current fantasy books, fantasy films and radio broadcasts,
and Dr. Tom Gardner's perennial reviews of the promags of the previous
year. Set up in approved newspaper format, some of the issues featured
covers by John Guinta or Herman Tok, lending a sort of Timel y appear¬
ance to the magazine. One of the most pertinent articles published by
Fantasy Times during the year was "Why FFM 1 s Novels Are Out", a report
transcribed from notes taken at a meeting between F. T. 1 s editors and
Alden H. Norton, Popular publications' editorial director. Mr. Norton
promised to inform fandom whenever an FFM lead novel was slashed.

14. SCIENCE, FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION (Franklin M. Dietz Jr.) 190

This lithographed magazine began its existence as "The fanzine of
information and education", featuring scientific articles and informa¬
tional features. Soon it widened its horizons to admit fan stuff, fic¬
tion, and fantasy articles, Sam Moskowitz conducted a column, reprint¬
ing, pro newspaper reviews of fantasy books. Dietz, a wheel in the
Fantasy Artisans organization, featured considerable artwork from mem¬
bers John Grossman, Bill Kroll, and others.

15. TRITON (Russ Woodman/Ed Cox) 165

Edited by two newcomers to fandom, both living in Maine but in
different cities many miles apart, Triton was as peculiar as the set¬
up which produced it. professionally stencilled and mimeographed, the
magazine was the absolute tops in mimeo-duplication, but its format
did not take advantage of this superiority. An hir of unplannedness
and a lack of form and character was chiefly responsible for this de¬
fect , which was in a measure made up for by the quality of individual
contributions. Philip Gray's excellent review column, appropriately
titled "To Rouse the Waves", Radell Nelson's amusing "Globlies" Car¬
toons, ana Vol Molesworth's reports from Australian fandom were all
worthwhile regular features, and. much of the poetry by Woodman, Gene¬
vieve K. Stephens, Geraldine Alex, and otners was above fan-average.

IS. PLENUM (Milton A. Rothman) 161

The FAPA Technician's Handbook spent mucii of its time during 1948
in debate with Roger P. Graham on such matters as the Perpendicular
Ether Drift theory formulated by RPG, and crackpotism, its cause and

THE FANTASY ANNUAL

cure. Meantime editor Rothman managed to write such items as "An Opi¬
nion Concerning An Opinion", a well-tempered discussion of alleged
Communists in. FAPA, as well as short articles on mathematical and sci¬
entific stuff, and a four-page item on the sad. state of FAPA^n^g.

17. BURBLINGS (Charles Burbee) 150

C. Edward Burbee's own fanzine (sic) appeared thrice in 1948, and
additionally came out once in combozine form with Fan-Dang o. His ty¬
per's resources peculiarly augmented by several new type-faces, in¬
cluding the bracket-marks, the caret, and the mark to indicate a new
paragraph, Burbee continued in his usual frenetic fashion as he merri¬
ly discussed such subjects as "The Ethics of Electronics", "Downward
Slanting Ey’es", "NFFF: Ave Et Vale" and "Their Sensitive Fannish
Faces"., His efforts were competently abetted by those of contributors
like F. Towner Laney ("As Seen Through Shellac Darkly"), Cyrus B, Con-
dra ("I -Was Yearning For My Kind") , Art Widner ("Shadow Over .North
Weymouth 91") and Elmer Perdue ("Our Dr. Daugherty"), all of which
added to the singularly frenetic quality of this sterling periodical.. ,

18. SHANGRI-LA (The LASFS) 145

Long-lived and popular Shangri-L 1 Affaires folded in 1947, and
Shangri-La , whose last issue had been dated July 1941, was reactivated
to fill the gap as the LASFS official organ. Edited first by Dale Hart
and then by Jean Cox, the magazine carefully eschewed controversy and
mostly lived up to its avowed intention of being "amiable as a shaggy
dog". Outstanding features included Ackerman's "The 'Nympht-O - Mani-
Ack", in which he described how he had collaborated with Catherine L.
Moore ih the writing of "Nymph of Darkness"; William Battersby's humor¬
ous bit, "The Wind is Blowing on My Eye"; Dr. David H. Keller's "soci¬
alistic" article, "Glass Houses"; and "Dynamic General Semantics", the
transcription of a speech given by A. E. van Vogt before the Pasadena
chapter of the General Semantics institute.

19. FAN-TODS' (Norman F. Stanley) 143

Although publishing but a single issue'in 1948, Fan-Tods pleased
its audience by appearing in a. mattress-thick edition' filled with mat¬
erial typical of popular Efty . Chan Davis continued as chief cere-
buster, contributing some "winsome" puzzles to the famed "Cerebusters"
section; Dr. Thomas S. Gardner pondered. "Some Ethical Aspects of Aging
Research"; "Yesterday's 10,000 Years" spotlighted the 1940 Brass Tacks
tempest over "Final Blackout"; and both the FAPA and the Vanguard edi¬
tions of Fan-Tods featured pages and pages of incisive mailing com¬
ments of interest to the appropriate association. On the lighter side
Chan Davis told the inside story (as first described in Canadian Fan- .
dom) of the Philcon Fireworks Furor, and Senor Ackerhombre reviewed
the Spanish fantasyzine Narraciones Terrorificas .

TOP FANZINES OF 1948

30. FIRST PERSON SINGULAR (Stan Wcolston)

136

This printed fanzine came out with one 1948 issue, handset and
largely composed at the stick. Superb in format, it featured mediocre
material by various fans. . To date no second issue has appeared; Wool-
ston is handicapped by a lack of cuts, spare time, and facilities.
Nevertheless, if this fanzine can get going, it has a bright future.

31. MASQUE (William Rotsler) 134

Although a FAPA newcomer, the first issue ®f which was published
in February 1948, Masque easily ranked with FAPA's elite at year's end.
I'ts most typical feature was high-quality artwork — mostly that of
Rotsler himself — whose mimeod, lithoed, multigraphed, and airbrushed
illustrations not only lived up to the mag's facetious subtitle, "The
Gaudy Fanzine", but made Masque one of the best-pixed fan publications
of all time. Its textual material was also of superior grade. Such
stellar scripts as "A1 Ashley: Galactic Observer" and the classic "Big
Name Fan" by Charles Burbee; and "A Visit to Ashleyopolis" and "A1
Ashley: Dime Store Krafft-Ebing" by Francis.T. Laney were, among many
other items, tops in the satire department of 1948.

28. HORIZONS (Harry Warner, Jr.) 123

As it entered its ninth year of regular publication, Horizons '
showed no sign of senescence. It still packed great amounts of erudite
commentary onto its 12 pages, despite a switch from elite to pica type
during tile year. Mailing 1 comments on both FAPA and VAPA bundles—
Horizons circulated in both ayjay outfits — musings about' science fic¬
tion, classical music and many other subjects proved invariably diver¬
ting as presented in Warner's calm and lucid manner. In addition _to
the usual book review in each issue, such articles as "Sound Your A",
"Blame Laney For This" (the story behind the genesis of Sp aceway s) ,
"Bureaucrats I Have Known", and "Books and Bucks", out stood in 1948.

23. SPEARHEAD' (Thomas H. Carter) 113

A newcomer, and a promising one, Sp earhead published three issues
in 1948, each one showing laudable improvement over its predeocesor.
Number one, appearing in hektoed form, was the typical first issue con¬
taining material mostly by the editor, his penames and/or his local
fan friends. The second issue wakened fandom to the certainty that
here was a fanzine to be reckoned with, for here was a 33-page mimeod
magazine boasting a lineup of some of fandom's best-known names. Issue
#3 was probably as good a fanzine as 1948 saw; it contained 37 pages
excellent material, all well mimeographed end presented. Outstanding
Sp earh ead scripts of 1948 included Don Wilson's "guest editorial" in
issue "Genius in the Past" by Arthur K. Rapp in #3;. "Ray Bradbury:

An Appraisal" by John Troy Sternwood, and "A Question That Needs An¬
swering" by Gerry de la Ree in #3. "The Goldfish Bowl", a regular fea¬
ture devoted to psychoanalyzing fandom, proved to be the piece de re¬
sistance of the magazine, and one of the year's most popular items.

THE FANTASY ANNUAL

24. LOKI (Gerry de la Ree/Genevieve K. Stephens) 107

Not the only fanzine in 1948 having "literary" pretentions, Loki
was the only one during the year to live close to that, ideal. With de
la Ree acting as managing editor, as well as literary editor, and Gene¬
vieve Stephens occupying the poetry editor post, Loki presented sever¬
al short, distinctive fiction pieces by Joe Kennedy, Otto Binder, de
la Ree himself, and others, and a hippocrene of well-done poetry by
such fans, as Lin Garter, Marion E. Zimmer, Russ 'Woodman, Dr. Keller,
Theophilus Alvor, and J&seph Baker. Richard S. Shaver contributed a
number of poetic sketches, causing a few. lifted eyebrows with "Life",
which some readers averred was obscene. At year's end, Gerry de la
Ree announced that, having seen two issues, Loki would appear no more.

25. FAN-DANGO (Francis T. Laney) 101

Ever a "stormy petrel" unto Fapates, Fan-Dang o presented both
friends and foes of Laney with multitudinous opportunities for argu¬
ments and rebuttal.' The editor 1 s on-the-stencil comments and sarcasms
touched (and touched off) a wide variety of subjects from bomb-dodging
to jazz, even including science fiction. The "Thoughts While Bandsaw¬
ing" department presented the irascible Towner as a critic, crusader,
raconteur, politician and feudist, while elsewhere in the magazine he
tilted with the NFFF, the LASFS, the Perdues, A1 Ashley, and other in¬
stitutions and people who had incurred his wrath. In more, subdued
vein, Laney published some surprisingly unfrenetic book revie?/s, the
longest and perhaps the best being a four-page analysis of Janvier's
In the Sarg asso Sea .

FAN BOOKS OF 1948

Although several ambitious projects were planned for 1948, only
two fan-produced books saw the light of day during the year. Among the
items which have not yet been published are Charles Lee Riddle's Year¬
book of 1947 , and Ray C. Higgs' Stf Album and Editor 1 s Efforts . Your
reviewer regrets the delay in the Riddle, item.

And the long-delayed Philcon Memory^Book did not appear until the
first months of 1949.

But the lack of appearance of these much ballyhooed projects was
at least partially compensated for by the appearance of Ah, Sweet Idi¬
ocy] , the fan memoirs of Francis T. Laney; and Torcon Report , a dis¬
tinguished piece of work by the sponsoring group, the Toronto Science
Fantasy Society.

Laney's opus appeared completely unheralded, with the exception
of an announcement over a year previously in the old Burbee Shangri-
L 1 Affaires and a few news-notes in Tymp ani . Although extra copies were
sold to outsiders at some outrageous price, Ah, Street Idiocy] appeared
'.in FAPA in two sections, serialized through two mailings, and was not
bound, illustrated, or embellished as'are most ordinary fan projects.

F. Towner wrote his memoirs from the viewpoint of the disgruntled
ex-fan. His book had the purposes of showing up the weaknesses of the
LASFS, presenting in completely objective light fandom as Laney had
seen it, end discouraging new fans from taking up the Sweet Idiocy
which Laney claims has led him into all sorts of awful situations.

The Torcon Report was about the best job of presentation ever to
be spawned from the fantasy amateur press. Mimeography was beautiful,
stencil-cutting was superlative, and the book was livened by the in¬
clusion of "Shadow and Substance" — a color nude litho which is guar¬
anteed to make Everett raise his eyebrows, and to make the rest of us
drool in appreciation.

Among the contents of this report were four speeches from the
agenda of the Torcon; three items of fan entertainment from that fan
gathering reprinted verbatim; and random views and commentaries on the
convention by various attendees of note, ranging from Joe Kennedy and
Bob Tucker to Robert Bloch and Lloyd Arthur Eshbach.

•• The Torcon Report was published in an edition of 200 numbered
copies. It' is an item well worth having.

- 41 -

the

TUCK A BUCK TODAY
IN AN AIR VELOPE
AND FLY I T
AWAY

In This Section :

MAT EUR PRESS ASSOCIATIONS,

page 44

national FAN SOCIETIES,

page 49

LOCAL FAN CLUBS,

page.51

FANS as a whole are joining people. Most
fans will join anything if it doesn't cost too
mucn and does not involve much work. Therefore,
no report on the fantasy world of 1948 would he
complete without reports from the- fan clubsr
both national and local, which exist for the mu¬
tual entertainment, improvement, advancement,
and enjoyment of their members..

The section on amateur press associations
describes the year's activities in fantasy's two
ayjay -associations, and — for completist's
sake — in the Vanguard Amateur Press Associa¬
tion, which is not a fan group but which does
have several fans and ex-fans in its ranks..

The year 1948 was good to' most clubs. Those
long established grew and prospered from the in¬
flux of new members, while at the same time sev-
jeral new clubs.sprang up. The long anticipated
Ipostwar turn to fandom seemed at last to' be , in
full cry.

We regret that reports from the' Fantasy
Foundation', the Fantasy Artisans, Science Fic¬
tion International, .The Vampires, The Cream of
the Crop (all national groups); and the Toronto
Science Fiction .Society (local club) have not
been submitted.

R. S.

43 -

AMATEUR PRESS ASSOCIATIONS

FANTASY AMATEUR PRESS ASSOCIATION

The Fantasy Amateur Press Association — FApA — is the oldest
organization to have sprung from stf'antasy fandom, having been estab¬
lished in 1937. 1948, its eleventh year, was also one of its biggest,

marked not only by greatly increased activity but by rapid evolution.

FAPA is patterned after the mundane ayjay associations, but has
grown far from its original models. Each member is_ supposed to be in-
terested in written self-expression and/or publishing. Through -an
official editor, FAPA functions largely as a clearing house for the
distribution of published material by and for the members.. Four times
a year, an official mailing goes forth, containing in a single bundle
all material published through the organization in the past quarter.

To keep the publishing for FAPA from becoming unwieldy, the membership
is limited to 65; to maintain a reasonable amount of activity on the
part of each member there is an annual requirement of a minumum of
FAPA, the applicant-must have published a fanzine of his own orelse
had material published in two fanzines in two different cities within
the year prior to his admission to membership,. Applicants are-placed
on a waiting list and admitted to membership in numerical order as
vacancies occur.

FAPA has largely stemmed from fandom, and as a result there is a
considerable, amount of fantasy material in the mailings. however, a
sizeable segment of the membership are more interested in other things
and as a result the content of the mailing is infinitely varied.

From 1945 to 1947 FAPA was plagued by several officers who simply
failed to function -- resulting in snafued membership lists, delayed
and incomplete mailings, and financial shortages. This official apathy
had driven the organization into dire straits, with members dropping
out right and left and the mailings dwindling severely both in size
and quality. In the summer of 1947 Charles Burbee and F. T. Laney
were forced to capture the then six weeks overdue mailing from incum¬
bent official editor Elmer Perdue and send it out in their own high¬
handed fashion. While carried away by this surge of duty, these two
characters slid into office, making a deal that they would split the
vice-presidential and official editor's duties between them for two
one-year terms. Their platform was simple: get the mailings out. on
time, to the day. So far, they have gotten five consecutive mailings
out of time a.s promised, and with this official efficiency the inter-
•est of FAPA members in FAPA brightened a great deal.

The first mailing of 1948, out in Februarywas the second Burbee-
Laney mailing. It went out to a roster of 6% members (three short of
the limit) and 16 of these were new members receiving their first mail¬
ing. The last mailing of 1948, out in November, was the fifth Burbee-^
Laney mailing. By this time the roster was full — 65 members, two of
whom were new — and there was a waiting list of ten eager applicants.

Those figures show the renascence FAPA underwent in 1948.

- 44 -

AMATEUR'PRESS ASSOCIATIONS

But-the complexion of FAPA lias changed a great deal, particularly
in the year of 1948. Traditionally, FAPA has. consisted largely of a
fifty-fifty, mixture of essays of intellectual pretentions, and of de¬
tailed .discussions of virtually every subject under the sun. While
some of the stuff was a bit sophomoric, the bulk of it was of definite¬
ly high quality, written intelligently by reasonably intelligent indi¬
viduals who usually knew enough about the question at hand to add. some¬
thing to the discussion. To quite an extent, FAFA was a bull session
captured on paper, and a mighty good one, too.

During the calendar year of 1948, however, no less than 27 new
members came into the organization. And unlike most of the older mem¬
bers, the bulk of these 37 were still fans. This has resulted in the
appearance of more material dealing strictly with fantasy, and in the
publication of a number of what are for all practical purposes general
fanzines.

There have also been other trends. Bill Rotsler has conducted an
art movement singlehanded — with Masque (the Daudy Fanzine) being a
mixture of satiric prose and lovely- artwork. The so-called Insurgent
Element, spearheaded by Burbee, Laney and Condra, has taken delight in
flaying fans and their foibles, concentrating chiefly on the LA8FS and
former FAFA member A1 Ashley. During 1948, Laney and Burbee contribu¬
ted the largest single opus in-FAFA 1 s history, Ah, Sweet Idiocy ], Lan¬
ey 's 130-page memoirs of his experiences in fandom. Also during 1948
the constant plugging of Warner, Laney, and one or two others finally
began to bear fruit, with more and more members contributing musical
discussions to the mailings.

Rothman, Speer, and Ifarner — old-time braintrusters — did their
bit towards keeping FAFA in its original groove, ably abetted by- some
of the less active older members like Chan Da,vis and Norm Stanley, and
by a limited few of the new members who' got into the groove very quick¬
ly, notably Don Wilson and Redd Boggs. Jack Speer, in addition to his
regular Fapazine Sy napse , published an exhaustive legal study in ' the
status of common-law copyright as applying to amateur journalism. And
the rest of the melange that is FAFA ranged' from Dr. T.‘ S. (Gardner's
thesis on rocket fuels down to the inanities of tne New Loxygen of Joe
Schaumbuiger — with every possible variation of interest'and subject
matter in between.

Quantitively, the year’s output 'was a handful. In the four mail¬
ings appeared a total of 1543 pages of Fapa,zines — n_early 400 page.s
per mailing.

A poll was taken of FAFA late in the year and the results thereof
should do about as much as anything to indicate who is who in this
group.

Best Fapazine was Redd Boggs' gky Hook , followed in order by.Milt
Rothman's Plenum , Harry Warner's Horizons . Jack'Speer's Sy nap se, and
William Rotsler's Masque .

The five best .article-writers were Milt Rothman, Harry Warner,
Francis T* Laney, Jack Speer, and Redd Boggs -- in that order. The

THE FANTASY ANNUAL

three best mailing commentators were Speer, Boggs, and. Don Wilson,
while Charles Burbee got a landslide for best humorist, followed by
F. Towner Laney, Joe Kennedy, and Rick Sneary.

■ The top fiction writer was also Burbee;' the best FAPA poet was
Boggs; and the best artist was Rotsler, who . outdistanced, four also-
rans by a top-heavy score.

And the top ten of FAPA (1948) were, in order, Milt Rothman, Redd
Boggs, Charles Burbee, F. T. Laney, Harry Warner, Jack Speer, William
Rotsler, Don Wilson, Norman F. Stanley, Rick Sneary and Joe Kennedy
(Sneary and Kennedy tied for 10th place).

What will FAPA be in 1949? Ali-h-hJ
next mailing]

I can hardly wait for the
— FRANCIS T. LANEY

SPECTATOR AMATEUR PRESS SOCIETY

If the world is still around in 1960, Speer's Revised Edition of
the Fancyclopedia will soberly record that back in the dim dead days
of .1947, a tribe of disillusioned young actifen formed the Spectator
Amateur press Society. Their object was to form a science-fictional
APA -in which the members, free from the bothersome rigors of trying to
appear intellectual, might let down their hair and publish solely for
the joy of belly-laughs and egoboo.

The SAPS ended 1948 with a full roster of 30, a two-column plug
in the January 1949 Startling , modestly bulging coffers, and an only'
partially deserved reputation for adolescent assininity in the minds
of FAPA members who had apparently scanned some of SAPS' cruddier ef¬
fusions.

To be a SAP, you must cough up 35<£ twice yearly, and produce at
least four pages of something every six months. Instead of employing
a president and a vice-prexy to sit around collecting barnacles and
glory, SAPS delegates one sucker to do all the dirty work of mailing,
keeping track of dues, and such stuff. When Ron Maddox, the first of¬
ficial editor, moved to Ethiopia after the appearance of SAPS mailing
#1 (readers with analytical minds are advised that Maddox's exodus was
pure coincidence), Lloyd Alpaugh, Jr., assumed the job. He was subse¬
quently re-elected. During the remainder of the year, Alpaugh lugged
stacks of SAPSzines to the postoffice every three months on the dot,
with the dependable regularity of a well-greased robot.

Compared to the first SAPS envelope, the -second mailing (January
1948) was gargantuan. Van Splawn's final fanzines — before the army
grabbed him — were a pair of one-shots distinguished mainly by their
neatness: The Outlaw and Symp hony . Reanimating the corpse of his sub-
_ zine Time Travel Tales , Rex E. Ward also made his solitary SAPS appear¬
ance. Alpaugh spawned the first issue of Sun Shine , "The Bright Fan¬
zine' 1 . While about as substantial as a soap-bubble, the mag displayed
a Joe Gross linoblock cover and some evidences of Alp's genius for
concocting funny fillers. Ron Christensen gave birth to Sapling , a

AMATEUR PRESS ASSOCIATIONS

whimsical parody on the Coronet-Reader 1 s Di gest "brand of commercial
mag. Boff Perry revolutionized traditional fanzine format with The.
Fan* Rocket , a mimeod sheet folded into a paper airplane, suitable for
sailing purposes. Other crusaders of crifanac rallying to SAiS' ban¬
ner were Andy Lyon, Joe Schaumburger, Telis Streiff, Henry Spelman,
Rick Sneary (whose Arcturus featured a mildly erudite review of the
Flash Gordon saga), Norm Storer, Walter Coslet, and Kennedy.. There
were also a couple of unmentiona.ble one—shots of New Jersey origin.

In the third mailing, which appeared around April Fool's Day,
Harold Cheney came up with what is — in my opinion — one of the neat¬
est and most original fan publications of 1948 or any other year. This
was a little book entitled The Hand s and Others — a collection of
four unusually good fantasy tales by such noteworthy amateurs as James
Llewellyn, Francis T. Laney, Redd Boggs, and Cheney himself. The pint-
size volume consisted of 54 mimeographed pages, about 52x4", with card¬
board covers over which a blueprinted design had carefully been pasted
in exactly the manner of pro publishers, even to such details as fly¬
leaf and .spine.

It was in this mailing that Walter Coslet inaugerated his. ditto-
duplicated Floor , in which he began his fantasy diary, cataloging-^day-
by-day additions to his collection, his voluminous prozine reading,
and whatnot. Alpaugh produced a featherweight issue of Sun Shine,
mimeod on Ballatine.beer stationery, and also contributed a second is¬
sue of the infamous Tails of Passionate Fans (the first issue, with
brash references to certain East Coast fans, nearly caused a. libel
suit. 1 ). Phil Froeder betrayed a frothy sense of humor.in Frozine . #1,
actually his first venture into fan-publishing. The issue contained
Part I of the serial, "Decline and Fall, of the Martian Empire", which
while credited to Froeder, betrayed touches of Joe Schaumburger 1 s fine
hand. Storer 1 s Queer this time was highlighted by a burlesk-Lovecraft-
ian account of a visit to Tom Jewett. Cheney, Schaumburger, Gross,
Spelman, and Kennedy were also represented by mags, and the mailing
was rounded out by two Fapazines ( YeHum #1 and perry's Vampire Ind ex)
and such trivial crud as a business card for Froeder’s father's bar
and grill.

The summer SAPS pile saw the light of day just before the Torcon;

I can remember reading it on the train bound for Buffalo, and chuck¬
ling over the second Frozine , and a Storer-Sneary combozine, and an
inordinately neat-loolcing issue of Sun Shine . It was the bulkiest SAPS
bundle of '48 — 19 fans produced 32 mags totalling 116 pages'. Che¬
ney's Keynoter #1 voiced the spirit of the times with its headline
TORONTO OR BUST. Paul Cox bowed into SAPS with an issue of Resonance
that featured a hunk of fiction in the "God's Little Acre" tradition.
Con Pederson, Marion Zimmer, and Ray Higgs also bounded into the spot¬
light with new SAPStuff. An inspired Andy Lyon contributed an excell¬
ent issue of Fandemonium that boasted a detailed review of von Weber's
fantastic opera, "Die Freischutz", and five pages of incisive mailing
comments. Coslet's Ploor presented some well-selected reprints from
such famed fanzines of bygone days as Scientisnap s and The Fantasy
Fan . Kennedy's Sp acehounds Gazette was weighted with book and prozine
reviews, and some verse by Doc Keller.

the fantasy-annual

As the October leaves fluttered groundward, the fifth SAPS mail¬
ing thudded into thirty mailboxes. Art Rapp,"who'd been lured into
SAPS' hungry maw' at the Torcon, combined hektograph, mimeo, and a rub¬
ber stamp set to produce Timewn rp # 1 , 'Rapp also fulfilled the age-old
dream of fan editors.by.actually publishing a fanzine printed on toi¬
let tissue. A minor classic of fa--ijeritten humor, "Long Tom and the
Mutant Wheat i'e ", 'highlighted an eye-pleasing second issue of Con Ped¬
erson' 1 s Snarl . Alpaugh's Sun Shine was resplendent with 22 carefully
mirneod pages. Sam Moskowitz's famed bit of fiction, "The Last Fan",
was reprinted; Joe Gross's deft artwork was abundant; Kennedy reviewed
John Kersey's Hiroshima; and Alpaugh himself wrote some hilarious hu¬
mor squibs, and stuck in a hellishly difficult quiz on the last line's
of famous fantasy stories. To Kennedy' s Gazette , George Fox contribu¬
ted an uninhibited account of his visit to the LASFS ("E. Mayne Hull
has much nicer legs than her husband..."). Keynoter #2 contained Che¬
ney's Torcon impressions; Ed Cox ushered in his aptly titled Maine-iac
and Streiff, Higgs, Paul Cox and Kennedy helped swell the mailing with
other stuff; and member Moskowitz circulated'a brace of six- and eight-
year-old newssheets of slight historical interest.

In retrospect, I believe that about the only thing approaching
intellectual discussion during the entire SAPS year —and didn't ap -
proach.very far — was an exchange of blasts between Storer and Paul
Cox concerning the laitter's orthodox south-of-the - Mason - Dixon line
attitude toward the Negro. The SAPSzines of '48 were composed 95$ of
pure frothings — inconsequential, highly-personalized, yet forthright
and funny. People who have an attitude of deadpan seriousness toward
fandom would probably regard a SAPS mailing with the outraged horror
of your spinster Aunt Lavinia spotting a discarded prophylactic in
the gutter.

This, I suspect,

stay.

is one of the reasons why the SAPS are
— JOE KENNEDY.

here to

VANGUARD AMATEUR PRESS ASSOCIATION

Soul-searching inquiries on the purpose of ayjay organizations
and desperate efforts to find subjects for discussion keynoted the
Vanguard Amateur Press Association's mailings in 1948.

The year saw little change in the general nature of the publica¬
tions. Its membership remained principally fantasy fans who had either
lost interest in fandom or liked the VAPA as a medium where they might
consider other things than fantasy.

Most significant change in the membership rolls and activities
concerned Robert W. Lowndes. Soon after the first of the year, he an¬
nounced formation of the Spectator Club, and sharply curtailed his ac¬
tivities in Vanguard. The Spectator Club, functioning along much the
same lines as the VAPA, was not to be considered as competition to
that group, he indicated.

NATIONAL FAN SOCIETIES

But the bulk of the publishing in the VAPA still came from the
New York area during the year. The Blishes took up much of the slack
left by the disappe ar an c e ’ of Wollheim and knight and the dwindling
■size of the Lowndes publication's,,' Blishfrau. began Quarterly , a publi¬
cation devoted to serious verse and fiction; Jim Blish in Tumbr11s
presented his own views on the world and its inhabitants- at length,
but found roota for genuinely Important articles on-a variety of other
subjects: a. long discussion of. Benjamin Britten 1 s, . new opera,, ."Peter

Grimes", for insfanceV^%d~-several instaltaents ; ; of' a sefies?'oh... the
mecharii-ds off pb e-try : -

C. Burton Stevenson was thermost. valuable. of; the new members,
Publishing mostly'in the form ;b^li©.stS^iiings, he ' irrigated." many .of
the members and fascinated all of theta i with his sbhplarly.approach and
bafeful? ah&Llydis © 1 f c? ^-roblems j hMlr ;l dIs-bu*^sd6h. ■' ■' Borman manley ;Harry
Wa^ r herh‘^-i ; >^'Mdo tb ll-lesser -'exteM-'B^ Bv Thompson■ -bohiinued fp di e-
.taD J ibute. J publibattdhs. that? wbre^bssefttially the r samfe^ for 0 both' th| ! : ; f YAP A
and FAPA. hO3ili?Dann-er "> si supe'rblyhop-fint ed -’ magji'zihes 1 ’ y -and' 10 b5if iiapt,
t ho ugh-i’uneven hdtaor bobbed Up 1 r ih^hevbr i al m@5:l3difs* m/0i ."losutfd

At the end of the year, Vanguard seemed to face a shifting of its
center of gravity from New York City for the first time, but appeared
to be finding its way along the new path that it was attempting, to
blaze. Several of the members reached the conclusion that reviews of
reviews and articles of the sort that are not apt to bob up in other
magazines would provide the solution to the problems,

— ■ HARRY WARNER, JR.

* # * * & -if- * # . # * # # * * * * *

NATIONAL FAN' SOCIETI ES

NATIONAL FANTASY FAN FEDERATION

The NFFF-began 0 1948;with.-high hopes. Dale Tarr Fas elected presi¬
dent; •Hdhry f, d#4-rgi-,' vice-president; and K. Martin Carlson 'was re-elec¬
ted secretary-treasurer. ' Andy Lyon, Ray Higgs, Boff Perry, and Rick
Sugary were elected directors, with .Stanley Mullen ; as chairman.

The first.hnoVd of the new officers was to approve a new. constitu¬
tion and place it defore t ; he 'membership for-vote. ' Among;other things,
if did • away - with’the 'of fide : of vr.de'-pre sident, 'and made ; the "siefetary-f
treasurer a presidential 'appointment. 1 . It also' ;gaVe the ^ direCtgfdt.b
more power, and' -control-of the club' ,: s funds. ' " r L, . i; - 0

A move was also made to change, the name of the organization —
the present one was claimed to be unrepresentative of the organization
because the club is international, not merely national. Many members
had also complained that the name was too long and unwieldy.

The new constitution was approved by a slim margin, but the name
change was rejected. Under the new document, Carlson was formally ap-

50 THE FANTASY ANNUAL

pointed to his former post of secretary-treasurer, and Henri Georgi
was named Plancom Chairman.

The next project to be completed was publication of the Vampire
Index, edited by Boff Perry. This index of Joe Kennedy's famouifSHT
zme was distributed to all members interested. The Moskowitz check¬
list was reprinted by (Jordon Kull and also sent to those interested.

In April the directors approved the distribution of the Richard¬
son Indexes, which when completed will list in one group all stories
in various fantasy magazines and in another, all stories written by
various well-known fantasy authors. By the end of the year the pro¬
ject was under way, releases being distributed with the official or¬
gan, with more parte being planned for 1949.

Another project approved by the directorate was the Moffatt-Wool-
ston Fan Directory. a booklet listing the names, addresses, phone num¬
bers and other information about all fans that could be reached. It
waa to be cro&s-indexed by state, and would therefore be of great use
in contacting fans in strange cities. Regrettably, there was a sudden
dtain on the NFFF treasury occasioned by the publication expenses of
the Keller book, T£e Sign of the Burning Hart, and the Fan Directory
was postponed until 1949. -- - -

In June Boff Perry resigned as director, and Harry Moore replaced
him. Several attempts on the part of several of the directors to keep
a directorate roundtable going were unsuccessful.

In August a move was made by a member to have Paul Cox removed
from the Federation because of his views on the racial question. Such
an action would have set a precedent in NFFF history, and President
Tarr urged the directors to vote against it. No vote was taken, how¬
ever, as the member making the change withdrew his demand.

During 1948 the membership increased substantially, climbing well
over 300, Director Moore bringing in a large number of fans who atten¬
ded the Torcon,

In the last.few days of 1948, the club was surprised and glad to
learn that The Sign of the Burning Hart , having survived many disap¬
pointing setbacks, was finally off tne presB and would be in the mails
very shortly. Thus all the major projects of the previous years were
completed, and others had been well begun toward completion in 1949.

— RICK SNEARY,

Chairman, Bd of Dir.

YOUNG FANDOM

‘ n . Q P 116 ,.? 0 slightly, unusual constitution, Young Fandom started
1948 in the middle of its fiscal year. Tom Jewett was president: Del¬
bert Grant, secretary-treasurer; and Harley Sachs, vice president and

cbalrman of the. advisory board, which was composed of Rick Sneary and

Norman Storer. Young Fandom, whose aim was to aid new fans to get

LOCAL FAN CLUBS

started in tile field, was made up largely of new fans, and started the
year with, a membership of more than 30.

The first move of the year was to hold an election for se ^ ti ^S
the amount of the annual dues, determining the time of the regular el- .
action, and settling other constitutional matters*

In mid-Spring what amounted almost to official disaster happened.
Ofeorge Caldwell, official editor, resigned nis post, and almost
iately President Jewett and Secretary-Treasurer Grant followed . his
example, Caldwell and Grant gave the demands of heavy school work as
their reasons, while Jewett was merely losing interest m fandom. The
three remaining officers did their best to keep things running till
the elections in June, at which time Harley Sachs was elected Presi¬
dent; Rick Sneary, secretary-treasurer, and Ed_Cox, vice.?titution*
Guerry Brown and Marion Zimmer were elected advisors. A constitut 10
al amendment was also passed, stating that no elected officer except
the secretary-treasurer could be over 25 years of age.

The first act of the new officers was the .institution of five
chain letters, captained by different officers or responsible members.
In this way it was hoped that all members could get to know each other
better. An official roundtable also was started.

Despite this bold start, and the increasing membership, little
was accomplished in the remainder of the year, due partly to the fact
that the official organ all but failed to appear, and ...rom time , o
time different officers found themselves unable to carry out .their
duties. Plans were-made, however, for membership, cards and stationery
and an emblem-drawing contest. Plans were also discussed for the dis-
tribution of 40-odd originals owned by the club. At the end ..of the
year, things were looking up again for Young Fandom.

— HIOK SNEARY,

Secy-treas.

LOCAL FAN CLUBS

CINCINNATI FANTASY GROUP

In reporting the program of the Cincinnati. Fantasy Group for 1948
it might be well to start back about October 1947. At that time we
were almost extinct and had three or four members. By 1 January 1948
we had run it up to 10, This included three or four who came only now
and then. By the end of 1948, however, we numbered 18 regulars, plus
six or seven non-regular members. That doesn't make us a large group,
but does show a satisfactory rate of growth. , During 1948, with luck
plus Cinvention advertising, we may number 35 or 40. and possibly be
able to be more active than in the past.

THE FANTASY ANNUAL

Right now we get a great enjoyment out of meeting new and out of
town fans. I might add here that any fan passing through Cincy need
only call PR 7605-M to get in touch with any local fan. If I'm not
home, my wife can give the phone numbers of the rest of the gang. You
can be sure of; always. receiving a warm welcome here in Cincinnati, We
meet regularly every Saturday night at our homes, taking turns.

As for the highlights of 1948, I'll just list them‘in chronologi¬
cal order and let the record speak for itself:

January 1948 ; Our first visit to Dr. C. L. Barrett of Bellefon-
taine, Ohio, the well-known fantasy collector.

June 1948 ; Phil Stevenson and Charles R. Tanner appeared on sta^-
tion WLWT, on a hobby show for television.

June 1948 ; E. Haden Russell and Harry Moore stopped over on their
way from New Orleans to the Torcon.

July 1948 : Don Ford, Ed Bierly, Duke Hensley and Keith Hoyt went
to the Torcon and while there secured the 1949 convention for Cincy.

August 1948 : We entertained a visitor from Albuquerque — Mike
Keenan.

September 1948 : Lester Fried and Russell Watkins visited us from,
Louisville, Ky.

September 1948 : We started swapping wire recordings with other

fans.

Octobe r 1948 : Seven of us visited Dr. Barrett again.

N ovember 1948 : George Earley visited up from Miami University,

December 1948 : The CFG had 500 Christmas cards planographed and
mailed to fans. O.f these, 35 were airmailed to England, due to the
fact that we didn't mall them out till Christmas week.

In conclusion, I should mention that we had one man come a dis¬
tance of 130 miles once a month just for our meetings, bringing two
men with him.

— DONALD E. FORD,

Secretary.

EASTERN SCIENCE FICTION ASSOCIATION

Following the pursuit of a celebrity policy, long since initiated,
which had brought among others, David H. Keller, Frank Belknap' Long,
Murray Leinster, and August Derleth, to the Eastern Science Fiction
Association-podium, the organization dug in its collective heels,
changed its pace, and allowed its members to bear the brunt of enter¬
taining themselves for the month of January 1948, However, this was
merely the lull before the inundation, for 1948 in resume was truly a
banner year in ESFA annals and its rollcall of speakers was the’ roll-
call of scientifantasy 1 s greats and near-greats.

January : This wa.s the "planning" meeting, looking two months a-
head to the March shindig, considering ways and means of making its
third anniversary meeting, termed a "convention", something to write
home about. A short, snappy program filled out the remainder of time.
Mies Ricky Slavin commented on Science Digest and other digest type

LOCAL FAN CLUBS

magazines occasionally broaching the science fiction subject.. Direc¬
tor Sam Moskowitz came through with a resume of limited edition fan¬
tasy book news, and also commented on his review of Weinbaum's The Mad
Brain, a# appearing in Fantasy Commentator .

February: Election of officers scheduled for March were set back

to-February to leave the March meeting-completely business-free. In¬
cumbent officers re-elected were Sam Moskowitz, Raymond Van Houten and
Alex Osheroff, director, secretary and treasurer respectively. An as¬
sembly of 28 heard the speaker of the afternoon, Lester.del Rey nar¬
rate at length and most entertainingly on the-relationship between the
existing pro magazine set-up and the free-lance writer:- He stated that
he had stopped writing fantasy because he had found more lucrative
fields outside the genre.

March: This was the month of the ESFA third anniversary meeting.

See "Events of the Year" for a summary of this "convention".

April: Headline from Vol. 2, No. 1 of Null-A Men , the ESFA club
organ: "STURGEON ROLLS 'EM IN THE AISLES-". Theodore Sturgeon, master
purveyor of science fiction and fantasy, proved himself an excellent
speaker with a delightful sense of humor. Anecdotes from his career.,
and encouraging words for budding writers in the audience highlighted
Sturgeon's talk.

May: This was the "Keller Meeting". ESFA members range in age

and occupation up and down the scale, but they are alike in one res¬
pect: they are quite adept in the verbel one-two. Sometimes in their
enthusiasm for a well-turned phrase they are more apt to favor justice
than mercy. Nevertheless, Col. David H. Keller, in a rapid-fire ques¬
tion and answer session, proved himself capable of thinking .on his
feet, and the owner of an unusually dry sense of humor. I think he
enjoyed thoroughly the feat of matching wits with people who had prev¬
iously teethed, so to speak, on del Rey, Sturgeon, and Sam Merwin, who
are no slouches, either.

June : A breather meeting.here, in one respect. No.celebrity was

present, but there was plenty of political activity within the organi¬
zation, including shouting, red faces-, etc. Plans were laid down for
a club constitution to' replace the old set of bylaws.-

July: Again we depart from the norm. This time- it consisted of

a picnic meeting in the wilds of West Orange, N» J, , with--some 17 in
attendance. Quantities of chow were pushed down miscellaneous hatches
as members communed- with nature to the accompanyment of Sam Moskowitz'
narration of his adventures at the Torcon and of his trip with the
Kellers to Sauk City, Wish, to visit August Derleth and, Arkham House.

August ; More political activity. I quote from the August 1948
issue of the official organ, Null-A Men ; "In a meeting fraught with
parliamentary procedure, large and' generous doses of debate and argu¬
mentation by Director Sam Moskowitz and members Raymond Van Houten and
Will Sykora as to the amount and order of said.parliamentary procedure
to be incorporated in a new organization constitution, the constitu¬
tion underwent its baptism of fire and was adopted."

THE FANTASY ANNUAL .

September; Fifty attendees this time, and the speaker was John
W Campbell, Jr. Mr. Campbell is a man who is quite at home on the
podium. He covered the policies of Astounding Science, Fic ti on and Un¬
known thoroughly, giving a good insight as to how he works as helmsman
of'science fiction's leading publication. A large part of his speech
was devoted to the subject of atomic energy, and was very interesting
and informative. A keynote statement by Mr. Campbell; "Atomic energy
is safe; it's the people in charge who are dangerous."

October: Herschell Levitt, illustrator of. The Mislaid Charm ^ and
art instructor at Pratt Institute, was the speaker. His subject, "Fan¬
tasy in Art", was* illustrated by slides rented from the Museum of Art
in New York. His talk traced fantasy in art from its early beginnings
and encompassed the subjects of surrealism and dadaispi.

November: L. Ron Hubbard at bat. Mr. Hubbard's theme concerned
itself with immortality. He outlined the acreage necessary to feed a
human being with relationship to the fast-increasing*population on the
globe, and painted a bleak picture insofar as survival is concerned in
the near and far future. Mr.. Hubbard explained the prospects of fast
diminishing arable land and the' drain upon this remaining land should
increased longevity of the race be realized.

December : Another innovation. This was the science fiction quiz

_ which ran to pages in length and up and down the scale in difficul¬
ty. Two teams of six members .each were chosen from the audience, cap¬
tained by A. Langley Searles and Thomas S. Gardner,. respectively
Tenseness and excitement, apparent throughout the affair, in the
lookers, climaxed when but one member in each team remained to
the verbal firing. Winner of the contest was Lloyd Alpaugh, who
first pick of the prizes, although every member competing walked
Witu at least one. If not two, pllses. __ ^ 0SHER0FF>

Treasurer.

on-

face

got

off

LOS ANGELES SCIENCE FANTASY SOCIETY

The Los Angeles Science Fantasy Society passed the twelve-year
mark during 1948. As one member put it, "No other club can make this
statement." Not only is it the oldest organization, of its kind in ex¬
istence, but despite occasional financial and "spiritual poverty, it
has been perhaps the most influential.

Relatively speaking, 1948 was a peaceful year. It was character¬
ized by a considerable lessening of the conflict between present and
former members. 1947 had been devastating to the LASFS' reputational
and financial well-being; 1948 gave it a chance to lick its wounds and
regain its strength.

Regain its strength, it did. This was largely made possible by
the influx of new members to replace the absent old. The club still
had as a nucleus the major, older members such as Forrest.J Ackerman,
E. Everett Evans, Russ Hodgkins, and Walt Daugherty. During 1948, it

LOCAL FAN CLUBS

acquired such important members 'as Eph Koenigsberg, Louise L e ip a r,
Pike. Scoles-, Seth Shepard, Richard Timmer, Wendy i-icndelle, Mark Blanck,
Dave Lesperance, Con Pederson, Bill Elias, and Freddie and Alan Her-
shey. Meetings were visited by such celebrities as A. E. van Vogt, E.
Mayne Hull, L. Ron Hubbard, Ray Bradbury, Ross Rocklynne, Bryce Wal¬
ton, Charles Schneeman, Clare Winger Harris, and lesser known lights.

The attitude of the members wks shown by the results of the Tuck¬
er "Little Kinsey" poll, which was conducted in the LASFS by Forrest J
Ackerman. It revealed that their favorite magazine was aSF, that they
did not believe in the "Shaver Mystery", that they thought Amazing was
the worst of the professional magazines, and that, religiously speak¬
ing, they were generally either agnostic or atheistic.

An interesting mutation was the shift of the members' interests
away from amateur publishing (their chief activity in years past) to
trying to break into the pros. This was brought about by a multitude
of reasons, one of which was Ackerman's adoption of manuscript-agent¬
ing as a profession; another was a growing consciousness that there
was room for newcomers in the stf writing field. (For example, during
1947 and 1948, 33 new writers appeared in Astounding .)

The society instituted a "contest " td see which of its numerous
amateur authors would sell the most material during the year, the win¬
ner to be given a banquet and hailed as top writer of Los Angeles ian-
dom, 1948. The idea was proposed by Eph Koenigsberg. Judges were
agent Ackerman and secretary Bonnell. E. Everett Evans won, with five
stories being accepted or published during 1948.

Many talks were given before the society during the year, as well
as many informal discussions with visiting authors. L. Ron Hubbard
spoke on "Immortality"; Richard Timmer on "New Horizons of Philosophy"
Jean Cox on "Science's Unlucky Star — Astrology"; Mark Blanck on "How
D'You Know You',re Sane?"; Alan Hershey, former Los Alamos scientist,

• on "Life at Los Alamos" — and there were others.

But the club's really big thing of the year, and that which marks
it most, was the Westercon. This was the first time the LASFS had pre¬
sented such a project. (The Pacificon was handled by a special Pacifi-
con Committee, composed mostly of LASFS members, but separate in iden¬
tity from the club.) The Westercon was largely the brainchild, and
product of one member: E. Everett Evans. It was held on -Labor Day
weekend at the Parkview Manor. It featured such speakers as Clare
Winger Harris, A. E. van Vogt, John Scott Campbell, R. S. Richardson,
Ray Bradbury, Don Bratton, one Forrest J Ackerman, and others.

The LASFS holds election every six months. During-the first half
of the year, the officers were Gus Willmorth, director; Jean Cox, sec¬
retary; Forrest J Ackerman, treasurer; and Russ Hodgkins and E. EVer-

• ett Evans, committeemen. Th.e last half of the year Jean Cox was dir¬
ector; Kenneth Bonnell, secretary; Forrest J Ackerman, treasurer; and
Russ Hodgkins and- Gus Willmorth, committeemen. Louise Leipar was lib¬
rarian. The editor of the official organ Shangri-La for numbers 5, 6,
and 7 was Dale Hart, while for numbers 8 and 9 Jean Cox took over,
Walt Daugherty edited #10.

THE FANTASY ANNUAL

During 19.48 the LASFS held 50 official meetings, and two holiday
gatherings — Thanksgiving and Christmas — the latter at the home of
Louise Leipar„ The society changed meeting places twice: From 637-g-
Bixel to 336 West 31st, and then back•to the old Bixel address.

—• JEAN COX,

Secretary.

MICHIGAN SCIENCE-FANTASY SO C IETY

The Michigan Science-Fantasy Society was'born on the 30th of Jan¬
uary 1948, when Bill Groover and Art Rapp, the whole of Saginaw fandom,
attended a meeting of the Detroit fan club. This nameless group was
composed of secessionists from the old Hyperborean, group, the form¬
er well-established Detroit sooiety. Ben Singer of Detroit was the
chief organizer, and was at that time The Mutant publisher, aided ' by
George Young and Gerald Gordon. T/hen the MSFS was formed, The Mutant
became the club's official organ.

The MSFS immediately.embarked.on a program of locating and con¬
tacting every known fan in the state and surrounding area, and the
membership grew.from the original eight or so to more than 30 by the
end of the year, with three local chapters active in fan projects: the
Detroit Area, including Windsor, Ontario, and several other cities
near Detroit; Saginaw, where the world's only formally-organized two-
man stf club continues to function; and Cadillac, where fans are thick¬
er than pinecones on the pines.

After the usual constitution was drafted, voted in, found inade¬
quate, revised, and approved again, the club tackled other projects.
One, selling some results of Martin Alger's trick photography known as
"Futurefotos' 5 , was slightly profitable. The second, a co-operative
trip to the Torcon, was financially ruinous but a hell of a lot more
fun. For a delirious interval, the MSFS even organized Midwest sup -
port behind a Detroit bid for the 1949 convention, but eventually
yielded to the more firmly established Cincinnati group.

Throughout the year, meetings were held every two- weeks-,, the
locale shifting from city to city, so that transportation costs would
be somewhat equalized. There were about ten members present on the
average, which we consider remarkable considering the distances many
had to come.

Shortly after-the Torcon, a state convention was held in Cadillac
with 15 or so fans attending. The second of these semi-annual conven¬
tions was held in Detroit during Christmas week, with about a dozen
fans present —the decline being due mostly to bad weather.

Over the Labor Day weekend, a six-member MSFS delegation journey¬
ed to Milwaukee to attend Bob Stein's "Beercon' 1 , stopping on the re¬
turn trip in Chicago' to visit Palmer's dero caverns and be presented
by him with a truly amazing stack of original artwork.

LOGAli ..FAN CLUBS

A crisis, arose, in tile early, autumn when MSFS president Ben Singer
enlisted in the.air force, as did twp other members of the club. How¬
ever, through the energetic efforts of .George Young and other Detroit
and outstate fans., the reduced membership was-kept from curtailing ac¬
tivities..

In the course of the year, editorship of the official organ, The
Mutant, changed hands with almost every issue, until it reached Stew¬
art- 'Metchette, who has filled the job so competently that every issue
under his supervision (so far.') has hit Startling 1 s "A" list.

The uniqueness of the MSFS lies in its attempt to provide fan ac¬
tivities for members throughout the state, rather than being only a
metropolitan-area group. This policy has met with marked success, and
we look forward to having an even bigger and better club in 1949.

— ARTHUR H. RAPP.

MINNEAPOLIS FANTASY SOCIETY

The original Minneapolis Fantasy Society, which was a leading fan'
club during earlier squalls of the Immortal Storm, was founded in Nov¬
ember 1940 and'came into fanational prominence during the next three
years. By mid-1943, however, the MFS had virtually ceased to exist,
having lost most of its active members either to the armed -services or
to the LASFS, fandom's wartime mecca.

With the return of many former members to the Twin Cities, an.at¬
tempt was made to zombify the old MFS under the/name of "Tomorrow Inc"
during the winter of 1946-47. This organization having .failed after
several meetings, a second attempt eventually was made, late in 1947.
On 27 December of that year, the club was officially revived under the.
well-remembered and well-liked name of Minneapolis Fantasy Society,
despite protest that this name might no longer describe • activities
of the postwar group.

Elections were held at the second meeting, 18 January .1948, and
the directorship settled upon Dale Rostomily, while John Chapman. be- :
came assistant director, and Gordon Dickson, secretary - treasurer.
These were all "old guard" members. Others included Phil Bronson,
Fred Wagner, Chuck Albertson, Manson Brackney, John Gergen, Sheldon
Arras, and authors Clifford D. Simak and Carl Jacobi, while newer at¬
tendees were Bernard puchleitner, Darrell Burkhardt, Kenneth Gray,
Noel Loomis, and Poul Anderson. Several meetings later, Rostomily re¬
signed his office, and in a special election, j^oul was elevated to the
directorship for the balance of the year.

Partly by design and partly because of the maturer nature of its
membership, the postwar MFS emphasized serious fangabbing — now dis¬
tinguished by the more dignified appellation of "discussion" — on the
weightier aspects of science, sociology, and philosophy. Formal .meet-r¬
ings, held monthly or more often either at the downtown YMCA or at a
member's home, usually featured a talk on some subject of general in-

THE FANTASY ANNUAL

terest, followed by a. discussion of topics brought forth by the; lec¬
ture. . Among, the talks given at 1948 meetings were Kenneth Gray's well
documented "Search for the Aryans"; Manson Brackney' s "Liquor"; an un¬
prepared, but well-delivered, description of life in a Jap prisoner of
war camp as seen by a survivor of Bataan; and a long geological lec¬
ture, illustrated with charts, by a University of Minnesota professor.
The latter event, a feature of the MFS' first postwar formal dinner¬
meeting, inaugerated a new policy of hiring occasional outside speak¬
ers to address club meetings.

An important feature of many meeting-nights, as well as nights in
between, was the informal discussion that took place in the back room
of the Paradise Bar in downtown Minneapolis. Such bullfesting over
foaming steins of Grain Belt premium usually lasted till close-up time
and, as often as not, survived an adjournment to an all-night cafe or
a member's home, and continued till dawn. Such unplanned discussion-
sessions were the tiling that for many members made the MFS worthwhile.

A heavier emphasis on purely social activities became more appar¬
ent toward summer. A chess league within the MFS long had engrossed
many members, and warm weather saw the founding of a softball league,
comprising members, their wives or girl friends, and relatives — not¬
ably almost the entire Saari clan. Two teams, the Nanks, coached by
Phil (DiMaggio) Bronson, and the Geeps, tutored by John (Zipball) Ger-
gen, engaged each other in a notable series of allegedly athletic con¬
tests. Over the Labor Day v/eekend, Bob Tucker, Bob-Camden, and Frqnk
Robinson invaded the Twin Cities, and were speedily recruited for a
Sunday doubleheader. The Illini trio Was also introduced to Premium
beer, the Paradise andi other local taverns, and the MFS silly story.

The silly story, a major preoccupation of the old, "slitely
wacky" MFS — in fact, "the delight and mainstay of its way of life"
— made a strong comeback locally at about this time, and the MFS,
noting the effects their silly stories had on non-member audiences,
freely predicted the early dawn of a worldwide Era of the Silly Story.

After toying with the idea of bidding for the 1949 convention,
the MFS decided.not to do so, but a delegation consisting of Anderson,
Gergen, Dickson, Rostomily., Brackney and Boggs, traveled to the Torccn
in a 1940 Chevrolet belonging to Poul's parents.

Throughout the year there was considerable speculation among mem¬
bers as to what future course the club should pursue. It was evident
that there was no clear-out reason for, the MFS' existence;- the common
bond of earlier days, a love for science fiction, was no longer pre¬
sent — having become but one of the group's many interests — al¬
though most MFSers still read aSF and some of them (Simak, Anderson,
Loomis, Jacobi, and Gray) write for the pros. The club did, however,
provide a social and intellectual outlet for its' members, and this
basis seemed sufficient, for the MFS entered its second year of post¬
war activity with every assurance of continuing in the foreseeable
future.

— REDD, BOGGS.

LOCAL FAN CLUBS

PHILADELPHIA SCIENCE FICTION SOCIETY

Tiie year 1948 was a busy one for the Philadelphia Science Fiction
Society as far as activities were concerned. One of the features of
the year was the presentation of some excellent talks by members who
had never before addressed the group.

Thus, Bud Waldo spoke on Werewolves; Harold Lynch spoke on Sci¬
ence Fiction in the 18th Century; Sol Levin gave a very amusing chalk
talk* and Josie Benderavage gave a rather sensational exposition ox
The Psychology of Woman. Some of the talks given by members were rath¬
er outside the realm of science fiction — such as Helen Benedict (se¬
mi M.D.) on the Procedure of Childbirth;•and Robert 0. Thompson.(semi-
phD.) on Linguistics. Other programs consisted of James A. williams
on Book Collecting; Milton A. Rothman on Why Study About Atoms; Jack
McKnight on precision machining as applied to science fiction; George
0. Smith on sound recording; and L. Sprague de Camp on The •Care and
Feeding of Continents.

An important segment of the club's energy during the year was de¬
voted to throwing parties. The PSFS had a Valentine party* a Hallow¬
e'en party, a New Years party, and a few others thrown in just for the

hell of it. Two meetings were held out in the country, at the farm of

the McKnights (officially titled Six Acres — better known as.Sex Ac¬
res. ).

In November the club gave one of their conferences to which every¬
body on the East Coast was invited. Only about 60 showed up, so it

was not too much of a sucoess from the attendance point of view, al¬

though the program was quite good.

Towards the end of the year the club acquired a new member: Irvin
Heyne who is a teacher of English in one of the Philadelphia high
schools. He has been very full of ideas for the club, skid as. a result
of one of his suggestions the club has started a series of discussion
programs on the world of the future. Sol Levine has spoken on.Art in
the Future; and James A. Williams has taken the topic of Books in the
Future. Milton A. Rothman devoted the final meeting of the year to
Science in the Future; and in later meetings, each member will.discuss
some aspect of the future in which he has specialized. This will keep
the PSFS busy for an indefinite period of time.

— MILTON A. ROTHMAN,
president.

PORTLAND SCIENCE FANTASY SOCIETY

During 1948 the Portland Science Fantasy Society completed its
first year of activity, as well as getting well into its second.
Meetings were held every second Sunday evening throughout the year.
During the year, the society published four issues of its major, fan¬
zine, The Fanscient , and seven issues of the PSFS News. Bulletin , as
well as sponsoring the publication of a set of Fanta'sy Postcards.

THE FANTASY ANNUAL

With the first issue of the new year, The Fansoient started the
revolutionary new "pocketsize" format, whi-ch has already been copied.
It has appeared regularly with 33 pages, and has become one of the top
fanzines in paid circulation.

At the beginning of the year, we had 15 local members and 18 as¬
sociate members. By the end of 1948, this had increased to 17 local
and 43 associate members.

During the year, the activities of the Portland group were report¬
ed in some detail in the Sunday magazine sections of both of the Port¬
land daily newspapers. The first writeup by Alec Severus, free-lance
writer, appeared in the Oregonian on 35 April, the date of our first
anniversary meeting. It featured pictures of a number of the members
as well as a shot of Don Day’s collection. The second feature, writ¬
ten by George Holcomb, assistant Sunday magazine section editor, ap¬
peared in the Oregon Journal for 38 November, and featured a group
picture of the membership, as well a,s -a photograph of Jaephus and re¬
productions of a number of the Fantasy Postcards. Both writeups pre¬
sented fandom in a favorable light.

Our first anniversary was oelebrated with a social meeting on 35
April, present for the occasion, in addition to regular members, were
Ed Zimmerman from Eugene, and Mark Walsted from Albany.

The disastrous Vanport flood claimed the possessions of one club
member, Don Berry. An appeal to fandom for donations to replace his
lost collection resulted in response from approximately 30 ' people,
several of which, notably Forry Ackerman, David H. Keller, W. E. Bull¬
ard, Edward 0. Hopkins, and August Derleth of Arkham House, made very
substantial donations of books and magazines.

At the meeting of 19 September, elections were held to select of¬
ficers for the following year. Jerry Waible was elected president, Joe
Salta was re-elected vice-president, Dorothy de Courcy became secret¬
ary, and Don Day was chosen treasurer, as well as being re-elected to
the post of editor of the club publications.

Hallowe'en, falling on one of our regular meeting nights, was the
occasion for our second annual Hallowe'en party,

— DON DAY,
treasurer.

TOP FAN GROUPS

1. Fantasy Amateur Press Association

3. National Fantasy Fan Federation

3. Portland Science Fantasy Society

4. • Eastern Science Fiction Association

5. Spectator Amateur Press Society

6. Philadelphia Science Fiction Society'

|9)

138

117

;4)

’ EF^^BAS'o' 0?0C:B:S

In This Section ;

COMMERCIAL PUBLISHERS, 1948..... page 62

LIMITED EDITION PRESSES. page 69

BRITISH FANTASY BOOKS.page 76

POLL RESULTS: TOP FANTASY BOOKS.page 78

SINCE Fantasy Press, Hadley Book Company,
Prime Press, New Collectors' Croup, and the
other semi-pro publishers joined August Derleth
and his well-established Arkham House in the
fantasy publishing field, the interest of many
fantasy collectors has turned from pulp maga¬
zines to fantasy books.

The magazine field, while scarcely in dire
straits, has not as yet experienced the tremen¬
dous boom that many observers felt would come
after the war, even without any such publicity
as followed Hiroshima. The real growth of the
fantasy field has taken place in the book field,
and 1948 was the most prosperous year for fanta¬
sy books in the history of the literature.

From the commercial publishers came two im¬
portant science fiction anthologies, as well.as
other outstanding titles, and from the semi-pro
publishing firms came a swelling tide of highly
collectable books, nearly all of them fine jobs
of book-making, suitable to keep in one's libra¬
ry as permanent fixtures, as well as competent,
if not ©kilful, examples of the art of fantasy
story-telling.

* The boom in fantasy books attracted the at¬
tention of literary critics and observers in all
parts of the country, as well as book sellers
and publishers, and the outlook seemed to be
that the book boom would accelerate in 1949, un¬
less a serious business recession set in.

J3y JVtoskowL tze Sea ri es ® JV ewma n

- 61 -

COMME RCI AL PU B LI SH E RS, 1948 by. §m moskowitz

PREFACE

The flood, of weird, anthologies, which characterized. .1946 and. 1947,
trickled, to a halt in 1948 and, for most collectors, the center of in¬
terest in the publication of fantasy hooks shifted to such exclusive
outfits as Fantasy Press, Shasta Publishers, and ■ Arkham House, who
were completely taking the play away from the big-time publishers in
regard to fantasy. Science fiction appeared stronger, largely because
the weird tale had shot its bolt, and the remainder bookstalls were
piled high with repetitious fare which had sprouted from the well-fin¬
anced presses of the large commercial publishers.

Then, too, the avid collector was avoiding obscure authors and
borderline collections, finding more than ample production of desir¬
able material from the fantasy specialists, who were catering to all
facets of the fantasy collecting field. Titles such as Furloug h From
Heaven by Jerome Dreifuss, Sea Chang e by Barbara Hunt, or Beast of the
Haitian Hills by Thoby and Marcelin, which received serious collecting
consideration a year ago, would have failed to qualify altogether as
1948 drew to a close.

' SCIENCE FICTION

Despite the termination of *the weird anthology cycle, some out¬
standing and even important books in the fantasy line were produced by
the general publishers during 1948, The most collectable proved to be
the new science fiction anthologies, A Treasury of Science Fiction
edited by Groff Conklin (Crown, $3.00), and Strang e Ports of Call edi¬
ted by August Derleth (Pellegrini & Cudahy, $3.75). Great hope had
been held for A Treasury of Science Fiction , since Groff Conklin, its
editor, had in letters to various fans made known his tentative selec¬
tions. He planned to include many of the most famous authors which he
had been forced by space limitations and oversight to exclude from his
first anthology, The Best of S cience Fiction (1946). His choice was
largely to have tapped the older science fiction magazines, was to
have included many of the acknowledged classics, and was to be entire¬
ly non-repetitious in vein. In effect it would take off from where
The Best of Science Fiction had ended, The Best of Science Fiction had
proved to be one of the greatest boosts the science fiction field had
ever received. It came as a complete surprise to most, and in addi¬
tion to a good selection, which made forays upon usually neglected
publications of science fiction, it had an excellent preface and. intro*-
duction. The result was the biggest gain in literary favor science
fiction had received since its inception in magazine form.

However, in A Treasury of Science Fiction , Groff Conklin was
forced to bow to the dictates of his publishers, who insisted that the
largest percentage of stories included in the collection be those from
recent Astounding Science Fiction s. Having himself dipped heavily
into the files of this publication, and having been followed by the
appearance of Adventures in Time and Sp ace (Random House, 1946), which
skimmed most of the remaining cream away, Groff Conklin finally pre-

-63 -

COMMERCIAL PUBLISHERS, 1948

sented a collection of second-string stories from ASF, most of them of

such recent vintage as to.be already available in the files of even

the growing new "diaper brigade"...in science fiction. Outstanding were
the old- tried and true classic from Science Wonder Stories,, "The Eter¬
nal .Man'" -t>y 'D. D.- Sharp, the previously anthologized "Mimsy Were me
Borog'oves" by Henry Kuttner, and the. excellent recent story "Vintage

Season" by Lawrence (Kuttner-Moore) O'Donnell. It is not that the

others were one mass of bilge — they were all good average Astoundin g
Science Fiction fare -- but one doesn't pay $3.00 for a book with. ^ the .
intention of reading the passably good stories that. ■ have appeared. I
believe the anthology-purchaser either expects something historically
curious or of top caliber, either in a literary or entertainment sense.
Therefore, though on sheer bulk and unquestionable authenticity as a
science fiction anthology -A Treasury of Science Fic tion was worth col¬
lecting, it was scarcely a credit to the field.

Contrarily, August Derleth, who bad gained a partially earned re¬
putation as an opponent of science fiction and of whom, consequently,
little was expected, edited in 1948 a collection titled Str ange Ports,
of Call: SO Masterpieces of Science Fict ion , which not only amazed all
by theTquality of its selections, but proved generally a credit to the
genre, helping to prove that science fiction, in the hands of compet¬
ent craftsmen, can attain a high standard of literary quality. Repre¬
sented for the first time in any science fiction anthology were the
stefnal works of H. P. Lovecraft ("At the Mountains- of Madness") and
Clark Ashton Smith ("Master of the Asteroid"), the latter being Smith
at his best. Many of the selections were pointedly fine stories, which
might scarcely have appeared elsewhere, including ."The Thing from Out¬
side" by G-eorge Allan England, "John Jone.s' Dollar" by Harry Stephen
Keeler, "The Worm" by David H. Keller, M. D., "Forgotten" by P. Schuy¬
ler Miller, and others. A few of the selections, Fritz Leiber's and
Howard Wandxei 1 s specifically, were inferior, but these_ scarcely af¬
fected the worth of the anthology, being so short individually. This
anthology was easily the most important hew title in the fantasy line
issued by a general publisher in 1948.

A. E. van Vogt caused something of a stir when his highly contro¬
versial story. The World of A, originally serialized in Astounding
Science Fiction, was purchased by Simon & Schuster and issued in book
form as the first of a possible' series of science fiction stories. In
the. book version, A. E. van Vogt made a strong effort, to eliminate
many of the crying weaknesses inherent in the novel's original appear¬
ance. This time G-osseyn didn't bother to walk blandly through walls,
so van Vogt didn't Lave to forget to explain things at,, the end; the
writing was smoothed out a bit, so it didn't appear so choppy; and the
non-Aristotelian philosophy, which van Vogt admitted he incorporated
as an afterthought and which he used so ambiguously as to send fans
scooting for copies of Science and Sanity from which it is derived, is
also toned down. The deep hidden philosophical thought which errant
fans professed to see in the story was definitely proved to be nothing
more than van Vogt's own_careless confusion, as anyone who read the
sequel, "The Players of A" will have to, concede.. Despite the strong
criticism of technical aspects of the story, in its book form it is
unquestionably a good, faet-action, Burroughsish thriller, good for an
evening's entertainment.

-64

THE FANTASY ANNUAL

Occasionally a competent author who is perfectly capable of doing
good work in diverse fields insists upon adopting fantasy as his medi¬
um and eventually ends up working semi-exclusively in some vein of
fantasy. C. S. Lewis is such an author, and comparable is H.F. Heard ;
his last two volumes, The Great Fog and Other Weird Tales and Doppel-
gangers, have met with some favor in the fantasy field, end consider¬
ably more without. In his 1948 collection, The Lost Oavern and Other
Stories of the Fantastic (Vanguard, $3.00), Heard gambols in straight
science fiction, fantasy and weird, always with stylistically good ef¬
fect and readability. But Heard's work at times, not unlike 0. S.
Lewis', has religious overtones, and I do not mean undertones. His
satire is often penetratingly direct, but his philosophical attempts
at solutions to age-old problems are often incredibly naive and ill
conceived, and occasionally in his science fiction, his science goes
awry. Still, there are elements of good, serious writing, which are
to a degree rewarding, and there is no question at all, using Doppel-
gangers as an example, that Heard could write a top-grade science fic¬
tion or fantasy yarn of the most modern sort, incorporating a message
or a satire according to his taste, if he would but remember that the
story is the thing, and if he would not drag a mass of philosophy in
by the hair •— as old-time science fiction writers once dragged in the
heavy science.

Of completist interest was the fact that Robert Heinlein, capable
of hitting the Saturday Evening Post , came through with another juve¬
nile science fiction book, Sp ace Oadet (Scribners, $3*50), which is a
companion to his previous book Rocket Ship Galileo (1947). This one
deals with the rigid West Pointish life of a space cadet and, as far
as story interest is concerned, might have been more convincing if the
locale had been West Point itself instead of out in space.

Though not fiction, Voy ages to the Moon by Marjorie Nicolson (Mac¬
Millan, $4.00) was unquestionably of interest to the science-fiction-
ist, being an attempt at a scholarly study of accounts dealing with
voyages to the moon, with scarcely an exception all dated before the
year 1900. In presenting a 397-page review, commentary and bibliogra¬
phy of stories, articles and even encyclopedia references dealing with
trips to the moon ? Miss Nicolson has certainly done a remarkably inten¬
sive study of. a single phase of science fiction, and undoubtedly her
research, like that of J.O. Bailey in Pilgrims Throug h Sp ace and Time ,
is of some value. But one wonders why the abrupt pause upon the very
threshold of the richest, most ingeniously fascinating lode of voyage-
to-the-moon stories that have appeared in literary history, those pub¬
lished after the year 1900. Miss Nicolson appears afraid to attempt
to penetrate the maze. Like Dr. Bailey, she lingers at the portals of
the twentieth cbntury, with yearning back-long glances at the clean-
cut simplicity and relatively infrequency of the lunar voyage tale in
Victorian times. Therefore, her book, while of interest and of biblio¬
graphical value, is of positively no consequence as a survey of the
moon-trip facet of science fiction, and its conclusions are totally
invalid and unjustified. They are comparable to a Martian's carrying
back to his world a description of a six-year-old child as typical in
intelligence, appearance and action of the average Earthman.

COMMERCIAL PUBLISHERS, 1948

From the little known Cosmos Publishers of New York we had the
production of a science fiction tale selling at $3.75, Missio n Acc o m p¬
li shed: A N ovel of the Year 1950 , by Jerry Walker. This is typical of
the tale'Which was the penchant of the semi-vanity publishers m by¬
gone years, of which there are numerous volumes gathering dust on the
back shelves of fantasy book collectors. The author, who has done some
work on the economics of international affairs, uses European brand
intrigue as the medium for telling his story, and it actually is a
tale belonging in the category of Mr. Mirakel , by E. Phillips Oppen-
heim, or The Baj the World Ended , by Sax Rohmer, close to borderline
in collectors' interest. Announced for 1948 publication, but not yet
seen by this reviewer wa.s The Fabulous Impersonation ; A Nov el of 1951,
by Jerry Walker, which — according to advance announcements — would
have been similar to Mission Accomplished in tone.

Harbinger of nostalgia was Edgar Rice Burroughs* Liana of Gatho i,
another of his famous series concerning the doings of nimble and re¬
sourceful John Carter on the planet Mars. The book was made up of a
rewritten group of four novelettes originally published by Raymond Pal¬
mer in Amazing Stories . To his delight, one found that this novel
could not honestly be classed as juvenile, that the average standard
of writing was superior to previous Burroughs, and that it was consid¬
erably superior tn that of many authors who write for Astounding today.
The story flows swiftly and smoothly along, with rich background color
of the Martian scene and civilization, deft touches of humor and sa¬
tire, and occasional glimpses of Edgar Rice Burroughs deploring the
many stock devices he uses in his own stories. This is definitely one
of the better novels in Burroughs' Martian series. I do not mean to
intimate that Burroughs has written a classic of literature, but he
can still entertain, and entertain professionally, which is more than
90$ of the science fiction and fantasy writers currently in print can
do. You may be moved, as I was, by Burroughs' intimations in his pre¬
face that advancing age (he is 73) is catching up with him, and that
John Carter might not visit Earth to spin his wild yarns much longer.

Aldous Huxley, the bigwig literary man, insists on using the
fantastic tale as a medium for his bitter satiric attacks upon civili¬
zation today. Ever since he caused a minor sensation with Brave New
World (1933), he has been examined and collected with interest by the
fantasy fan, but following upon After Many a Summer Dies the Swan and
Time Must Have a Stop , also fantasies, and now the book in review, Ape
and Essence (Harpers, $2.50), we weary of his alleged satire and are
prone to inquire if he is not using satire for sex's sake and not sex
for satire's sake. In Ape and Essence he far out-copulates Brave New
World and swings his satirical broom with his eye cocked on the sales
appeal of Forever Amber .

WEIRD AND FANTASY FICTION

In the field of the fantasy and weird tale, American general pub¬
lishers were even less distinguished than in science fiction. Probab¬
ly the banner production of the year in this vein was Philip Van Doren
Stern's selection of Tales of Horror end the Supernatural by Arthur
Machen (Knopf, $3.95). His works long difficult-to-find and sought-
after collectors' items, spread through multiple volumes of greatly

THE FANTASY ANNUAL

varying quality, Arthur Machen has "become an author whose ' collecting
was a project not to be thoughtlessly undertaken. Therefore, any rea¬
sonable collector should welcome with open arms the appearance of this
well-considered collection, which presents much of the "best of Machen
in a single, handsome volume. "The Novel of the Black Seal", "The No¬
vel of the White Powder", "The Great God Pan", "The White People",
"The Bowmen", "The Terror", "The Shining Pyramid" — all these are
present, and more.

It would be a mistake to- approach Machen with the notion that he
will "send" you. Either the wares he has to offer strike you or they
do not, and as many people are distasteful of'his offerings as there
are those who would exalt him. Notable is his'almost liquid style and
rich rhetorical eloquence, belonging to another age in literature; in¬
deed, Machen is not the completely modern arrival that some would con¬
sider him, a large portion of his finest work having been composed be¬
fore the turn of the century.

Lovecraft derived a part of the idea of his mythos from Machen,
•and also shows definite influences of style, particularly in his pen¬
chant for writing thousands of words of narration, uninterrupted by
, Machen*s greatest weakness is his inability
ngroseed and carry him through to the conclusion.
One reads Machen because he wants to read him, and almost never as
casual entertainment. This explains Machen*s relative lack of general
popularity. With dozens of books to his credit, both in America and

dialog or swift actio
to keep the reader e:

England, and possib!

y with many translations into foreign tongues, Ma~

fame constant, his o
have been- ego-inflat

chen's death found him barely subsisting upon a dole, but with his

ut-of-print books selling for prices
ing to a less impoverished man.

that would

In his introduction to the Machen collection, Philip Van Doren
Stern takes no chances of tarnishing his literary reputation. Nowhere
does he state anything more than the bare facts about Machen* s life
and literary style; nowhere does he begin to commit himself to even
the strong suggestion that Machen might be a great writer. Nor does

Machen ! s close friend, Robert Killyer, in a note on the author, strong¬
ly suggest Machen*s greatness. In view of this, the attitude of many
of the leading critics in unstintingly praising the volume and their
offering hope for a re-evaluation of Machen*s work upward is both sur¬
prising and heartening. Apparently they feel that there is more to be
considered before Maohen's name is Written off the books. This atti¬
tude seems to approximate that of Vincent Starrett in his book Buried
Caesars,'published in 1933, when he said; "Among other things posteri¬
ty is going to demand of us why, when the opportunity was ours, we did
not open our hearts to Arthur Machen and name him among the very
great."

Through the years, the prehistoric yarn has by courtesy been ad¬
mitted to the Canons of science fiction, partially because of the myr¬
iad great monsters roaming through such tales, and partially because
the dawn of man is an obscure, little known period, and most guesses
concerning its constituent elements must be embroidered with fancy*
Invading this field with a vengeance is Vardis Fisher, who has written

COMMERCIAL PUBLISHERS, 1948

and intends to write still more in a long series of novels showing the
dawning of intelligence in man and his slow, tortuous road to progress.
Preceding The Di vine Passion (Vanguard, $3.50), his 1948 production,
were Fisher 1 s Darkness and the Deep , The Golden Room s. and Intimation s
of Eve. Qf the group, The Golden Rooms is far and away the Jest, be-
iHg“an extremely well written, adsorbing and cogent presentation of .
the psychology of the prehistoric man and the factors which motivated
him. The trouble has been that this novel was too successful, and
Vardis Fisher, who has announced his intention of continuing the ser¬
ies to embrace the life of Jesus and onward, has become bogged down in

the most hopeless fashion. All of his novels in this series virtually
paraphrase one another. The amount of progression in each is so small
as to be negligible, and the touch of sex which sparked The Golde n
Rooms and made it seem more realistic, has descended to a fascinated
discussion of the woman’s menstrual period and. it s resultant influence
on the man from so many angles that, frankly, it has become downright

disgusting. Since The Go lden Rooms the quality has fallen, off m

breathtaking drops, and I could not recommend The Divine . Passion under
any circumstances, though I do suggest that you obtain a copy of The.
Golden Rooms as a permanent part of your collection.

In the field of general fantasy, T. H. White has ouilt up quite a
following for The Sword in the Stone and Mistress Masham' .g, Reposq. In
these tales he will take a popular old classic, such as the tales of
King Arthur, Gulliver's Travels , et al, and recreate in a modern^set¬
ting the characters and conditions that formed the integral part_
thole tales. In hie latest book, The Eleph an t and the Kangaroo. (Put¬
nam, $3.75), he follows the same tack. You will find his book easy to
read, at times witty and satirical. Its most obvious weakness lies m
the fact that it is using previously created characters and situations
as an integral element and thus rarely stands a chance of rising ou
of'the grade of just good entertainment. But when tired, after a day's
work, I am sure you are not interested in whether a story is _ "great
literature" if it can entertain you, and White can certainly do the
latter.

To be noted because of the presentation of the movie based on the
book is The Green Child by Herbert Read (New Directions, $2.75). This
tale of a boy whose hair turns green and who is persecuted because of
this difference from his fellows holds an obvious meaning. It is an
extremely well done bit of its type, and you would probably like it.

SUMMARY

1948 was not a banner year for the publication of fantasy by the
general book publishers either here or abroad, although it was consid¬
erably better than many previous years we can remember.

The best fantasy books of 1948 were, with only a few exceptions,
produced by the specialists in the field such as Arkham House, Fantasy
Press, Prime Press, FPCI, etc. Even the average fantasy book publish* f
ed by these specialists far exceeded in reader interest the books of
the general publishers. More than ever this emphasized the.fact that
though the general publishers are far better equipped financially and

THE FANTASY ANNUAL

mechanically to publish a fantasy book, they lack the 'know-how which
is the largest single asset of the fantasy publisher. This refers not
to a ''know-how' 1 as to methods of producing and selling books but to a
knowledge of the fantasy field and the tastes of its clientele. More
than ever, the point was emphasized in. 1948 that the fantasy field, is
a field for specialists, individuals who are experts in that particu¬
lar line. It" is one thing to assign Philip Van Doren Stern to go to
the library, take out all available Machen. books and choose the worth¬
while stories from among them for a Machen collection. It would be
a horse of a different color to have him assigned to locate and make a
good selection <Df the works of a noteworthy fantasy author who had
never previously attained book publication. This latter is what the
fantasy presses are trying to do, and are succeeding in doing every
year.

The worsening economic conditions of this country will bring
about pressures which will bear watching. Often poorly financed and
precariously operated, the small fantasy publishers would die like
flies if the pocketbooks of their supporters should close tightly in a
wave of economy influenced by insecurity. There is no evidence to show
that the fantasy buying public is in any. fashion a higher income group
than the average of the country at large. Their willingness to sacri¬
fice other luxuries for a regular fare of fantasy is an acknowledged
fact, of course, but grim necessity gradually obviates all luxury,
which three dollar books certainly are.

The more prosperous of the fantasy . publishers have been making
strong, somewhat successful attempts to gain wider, more general dis¬
tribution of their books through book wholesalers, . book salesmen and
other distributing mediums. It will be interesting to see if at a
time when all book companies are taking the proverbial "gas - pipe",
whether sales of fantasy in the general book stores continue to hold
up, and whether the reaching of the main mass of the potential fantasy
buying public — still relatively untapped —. will be accomplished in
time and in sufficient quantity to assure continuance of successful
fantasy publishing.

If fantasy should continue to sell well, despite the trend of
lowered general income, a strong attempt to.present salesworthy titles
in the genre would certainly be attempted by the big publishers. The
effect might be serious upon the exclusive fantasy publishers. It will
be remembered that when the hint got out that science fiction was sell¬
ing well in late 1939, pulp magasine publishers swung en masse into an
orgy of science fiction publishing that was only terminated by the ex¬
igencies of the war.

In many ways 1949 is a crucial year, and the Fall book season of
1949 should provide the cue as to whether or not the general publish¬
ers will make any strong bid in the fantasy field, particularly the
science fiction branch. It should also definitely decide whether un¬
employment and salary cuts will seriously curtail the sales of the fan¬
tasy publishers, and make continuance unprofitable. In this respect,
the publishers will keep an anxious eye on costs' of book production,
for compensatingly lowered production costs would be their only hope
of survival in the event- of reduced sales.

LIMITED EDITION PRESSE S. ,b£ A. LANGLEY SEARLES

Thinking hack to a decade ago, when Arkham House edged warily in¬
to the field, it is hard to realize that small fantasy publishing
houses could have multiplied and produced books to the extent they did
in 1948. For in that year they actually issued a new title every ten
days. If you were a completist, you paid oiit $110.50 for these 37
volumes — or about $3.13 per week. (If you bought magazines and books
from the larger companies as well, I'd hate to think how much a week
it cost you to be a fantasy fan. And by the way somebody once claimed
science fiction was an inexpensive hobby.') For the sake of being a
little systematic, I am treating these books alphabetically according
to their publishers:

ARKHAM HOUSE: It seems fitting indeed that chance should thus
put the eldest — and, to my mind, the best end most stable —_ name ■
first. Of the half-dozen works Arkham House put out, five were first-
rate. And of these five, two — Dunsany's Fourth Book of Jorkens . and
Roads by Seabury Quinn — were voted by me as in the top five titles
of the year among all publishers. .

If you have read Jorkens' earlier adventures (unfortunately now
out of print and quite difficult to obtain) no rapturous praise is
needed to convince you to buy this latest selection; if not, it is
high time you made his acquaintance. And even if you already own Roads
in its original Weird Tales appearance, the chance of acquiring this
newly expanded version in neat, permanent form, with illustrations by
Virgil Finlay, at a two-dollar price is one to jump at. Roads is one
of the most beautiful Christmas stories I have ever read, and has a
universal appeal to old and young, based on something deeper than just
the Christian holiday itself. It makes an ideal gift, too.

The Web of Easter Island was -a three-way slip: Donald Wandrei for
writing it, H. P. Lovecraft for praising it, and Arkham House for pub¬
lishing it. Admittedly there are points in its favoy -- notably some- -
fine atmospheric touches of horror in chapters five-and eleven — but
these simply cannot overbalance the general air of amateurishness that
pervades the book, and the totally out-of-place salaciousness in chap¬
ter four.

Arkham House’s remaining productions are collections of meritori¬
ous short stories: L. P. Hartley's The Traveling Grave , which pre-
sents this British writer's macabre efforts culled fromThis now out-of-
print Night Fears and The Killing Bottle; Clark Ashton Smith's third
Arkham title, Genius Loci and Other Tales ; and August Derleth's Not
Long for This World.

The Smith, Dunsany and Wandrei titles had a printing of 3000 co¬
pies each. The Hartley and Derleth collections were limited to. 3000,
the former because British authors are not good sellers in this coun¬
try if not well known, and the latter because Arkham House sales have,
been falling off of late. (Possibly this is the first sign of a slack-

-69-

THE FANTASY ANNUAL

ening demand to affect the whole fantasy publishing field, or possibly
it is a reflection' of the fact that supernatural fiction cannot suc¬
cessfully compete with science fiction in the current buyers' market.
Sight of the 1949 prospectus from Sauk City indicates that both alter¬
natives have been taken into consideration.)

Quality of the material in these books remained at the same high
level of previous years. The jackets were neatly executed by Ronald
Clyne, Virgil Finlay and others. The usual three dollar price has
still held its own, as well.

AVALON COMPANY : Life Everlasting and Other Tales of Science ,
Fantasy and Horror by Dr. David H. Keller cdrnprised■the output of this
company during 1948. (The book is misdated 1947, by the way; it did
not actually come out until 1948.)

The entries were chosen by Sam Moskowitz, who also wrote a long
and interesting introduction for the collection in which many unknown
facts about Dr. Keller were revealed. The stories thems'elves were
selected for the purpose, of giving an accurate cross-section of the
author's work; thus we have examples of his character Taine of San
Francisco ("The Cerebral Library"), his science fiction ("The Boneless
Horror"), his harsh and cutting non-fantasy ("A Piece of Linoleum"),
and so on. Included are a hitherto unpublished title, "The Face in
the Mirror", and such justly famous Kelleryarns as "The Dead Woman",
"The Thing in the Cellar" and "Life Everlasting" itself.

The text is printed in clear, readable type; the book is neatly
bound in black cloth, and has a red-stained, heacfbanded top. Unfor¬
tunately Russell Swanson's jacket is an undistinguished effort. Dis¬
tributed free of charge with the book is a bibliography of Dr. Kel¬
ler's fictional works, in pamphlet form, reprinted from the Summer
1947 issue of Fantasy Commentator . All in all, Life Everlasting is
well worth its three-fifty price tag,

FANTASY PRESS: No less than seven three-dollar books rolled out
of Reading, Pennsylvania, during 1948. All of them were neat and
slickly produced reprints of pulp fiction that has proved popular and
entertaining in the pant to readers of the fantasy pros. And, judging
by sales, such fiction still has adherents willing to back up their
preferences with c R sh. I cannot help wondering how many fans are read¬
ing these works for the first time, and how many find themselves a bit
disappointed if this is their second perusal.

For myself, I must admit that most of the pleasure has left works
like these. To be more specific: Darker Than You ’ Think struck me as
only mildly entertaining when it came out eight years ago, and I have
no desire at all to read this slightly expanded version now. With the
sour taste of "Children of the Lens" still in my mouth, I wouldn't
plow through juvenile space-operas like Skylark Three or Triplanetary
again if you paid me. And while in the mood for confession, let me
admit that I did reread The Black Flame , only to have another pleasant

LIMITED 'EDITION 'PRESSES

.youthful me'moty shattered. Stanley 0. Weinbaum, let me tearfully avow,
qeems as much a hack to me now. as Nat Sc'hachner did hack in 1936,

The chief fault of present-day pulp fantasy — the tendency to
■substitute fast-moving action" and slick dialog for psychological depth
also mars the' remaining, three volumes of Fantasy Press.. It is per¬
haps most noticeable in'Eric Frank Russell's Sinister Barrier , but the
essential idea here is do good as to largely overbalance it. This no¬
vel is a bit on the unnecessarily hard-boiled side, but nonetheless is
still enjoyable. Bey ond This Horizon is a capable, quieter effort,
and shows Robert Heinlein's talents to some advantage. No classic, but
it too is entertaining. Finally, we have t^o novelettes by L. Sprague
de Camp between hard covers: Divide and Rule ' And The Stolen Dormouse .
They represent the author in good, though not best, form — which- is
to say they rank in the upmost ten percent bracket of pulp quality.
You will probably reread them once or twice if you buy them.

The format chosen by Fantasy Press is good; their books have a
crisp, pleasing appearance. The artwork, however, is spotty. A, J.
Donnell's illustrations vary from excellent (Jacket of Beyond This
Horizon) to amateurishly clumsy (frontispiece of Triplanetary ). . And

while it is a bit off the subject I feel impelled to compliment who¬
ever is responsible for the company's advertising circulars and bro¬
chure reviews; they rank with those of Arkham House as the most at¬
tractive in the field.

FANTASY PUBLISHING 00. , INC. ; Here, too, we have seven books to
con cider,. It”~is better to begin with complaints than to end with them
so let us dispose of The Radio Man and People of the Comet first.
These are respectively tagged at fifty cents and a dollar less than
the usual price, but prospective purchasers.should not let this lure
them into buying what can be frankly classified only as sheer crap.
Whether you are a lover of "the good old-days" or not, friend, face
the facts. Ralph Milne Farley's pitiful effort might just possibly be
classed as mediocre juvenilia, but not even memories of "The Blind
Spot" can rescue Austin Hall's production from the literary trash-can.
The only statement that can be made in favor-of either is that they
are available in no other form at present, and this is really more of
a blessing to fandom than anything else.

I cannot rate John Taine's The Cosmic Geoids , not having read
this latest FPCI production, but for what it may be worth I have been
told by an ardent Taine devotee that the title story contains a very
fine Stapledon-like concept which might have been better developed and
ended, and that "The Black Goldfish", in the same volume, is success¬
fully and pleasantly unpretentious. Nor do I wish to 'speak authori¬
tatively about The Works of M. P. Shiei : A Bibliography , save in one
respect. I have skimmed” through A, Reynold Morse' s volume, but I
have not given it the- careful checking required to pass literary judg¬
ment. I do feel, however, that it is unconscionably overpriced, . It
is no larger nor much more typographically complex than, say, The
Sunken World , and there is absolutely no excuse for charging six dol-
Jarcj’ ---double t±ie price fdx it. In fact, though I cannot prove it,

THE FANTASY ANNUAL

I feel morally certain that FPCI. slapped on this exhorbitant tag simp¬
ly because Shasta successfully got away with it on their Checklist
(where, incidentally, while still unnecessary, there was more excuse.)
This is probably as good a place as any to state that fandom would do
well to boycott such overpricing right now and nip the whole thing in
the bud before it gains any headway. If MacMillan can print for $>4.00
Voy ag es to the Mo on , a similar technical book with plates, biblio¬
graphy and an index which is twice the length; and Argus, a small out¬
fit, can produce the even larger Pilgrims Throug h Sp ace and Time for
$5.00, then there is absolutely no reason why FP0I, efficient enough
to bring out seven fantasy books a year, cannot cut its price to a
fairer, competing figure.

The remaining, books hit a happier note. Stanton A. Coblentz's
Sunken World is a pleasant adventure tale, perhaps diluted a little by
satire. It is pleasant entertainment, and worth owning. Death 1 s De¬
puty by L. Hon Hubbard, is also pleasant entertainment, though the re¬
marks made in connection with some of Fantasy Press’s books apply ito
this one, and also for ' Out of the Unknown by A. E. van Vogt and E.
Mayne Hull. The latter, howeyer — it is out in a second printing, by
the way — easily triumphs over the inherent faults of its medium; tne
stories included here are delightful, and yau will undoubtedly go back
to them for reperusal on several occasions.

Such a bewildering array of artists.work for FPOI that it is
difficult to gauge relative effectiveness. Their work, as might be ex¬
pected, is uneven, but the jacket for the Taine title, the. interior
illustrations in the Coblentz, and most of the work by Neil Austin
stand out for their superior quality. In general, the company's
adopted’ format is attractive.

GNOME PRESS : Though other titles were expected and still pending,
only The Carnellian Cube by L. Sprague de Camp and Fletcher Pratt act¬
ually appeared in 1948. Sad to say, it does not live up to expecta¬
tions. It is rushed, carelessly developed, and poorly characterized.
This is all the more to be pitied, for the idea itself — that of a
magic talisman which can transport its owner into any other universe
of his desire — has great potentialities. As for the subtitle ("A
Humorous Fantasy"), the less said the safer. The binder quality of
paper and jacket design of the. book are adequate but no more..

Gnome Press-also published (at $1.00) a. Fantasy Calendar for 1949
with artwork by Frank R, Paul, Edd Cartier, and Hannes Bok.

GORGON PRESS : Another new firm that produced butt a single title
in 1948 was the Gorgon Press of Denver. Moonfoam and Sorceries, con¬
tains thirteen stories and thirteen poems by Stanley Mullen, well-
known Denver fan, publisher and writer. Some of these have appeared
in fan magazines; the majority have not. All are eminently readable,
and two or three are very striking. Mullen's chief fault appears to
be a tendency to rush through an idea rather than take time for de¬
veloping it with adequate leisure.

LIMITED EDITION PRESSES

HADLEY PUBLISHING CO.: We can forgive the non-appearance of
titles "promised us for untold months by their publisher when one as
good as ,L. Ron Hubbard's Final Blackout makes its appearance. Final
Blackout has what most modern fantasy writing sadly needs: a quota, of
really convincing characters. These- make the bitter devastation of the
Last European War of the future ten times as believable as scientific
gadgets and fantastic mumbo-jumbo would. This is a fine book; get it.

MYCROFT AND MORAN: Arkham House's younger brother gave us Oar-
nacki the Ghost-Finder during 1948 (despite the 1947 on its titlepage)
a collection of William Hope Hodgson's short stories that includes not
only all of the entries in the earlier and now out-of-print British
edition, but three hitherto unpublished ones as well. Two of the lat¬
ter have admittedly slight bases, but the third ("The Hog") is quite
crood. The other stories are aLso fine — in fact, two of them ("The
Whistling Room", and "The Gateway cf the Monster") attain almost class¬
ic status#

NATIONAL FANTASY FAN F EDERATION : If you didn't order Dr. David
H. Keller's Sig n of the Burning ' Hart well in advance, you have virtual¬
ly no chance of obtaining it. The extremely small edition (250 cop¬
ies) was completely subscribed long before publication. On the basis
of rarity alone you'd have done well to get this neatly gotten-up , re¬
print of the first French edition, which itself ran to only a hundred
copies. It is too late now, anyway, so pocket your $1,50.'

NEW ERA .PUBLISHERS: This new gompany added its decibels to the
Keller boom with The Solitary Hunters And The Abyss, pegged at the us¬
ual three dollars. The first short novel will be remembered by foll¬
owers of Weird Tales of fifteen years ago; it was widely acclaimed
then, and I find on rereading that none of its smooth flowing passages
are any the worse for time. It is undoubtedly one of the good doc¬
tor's slickest, easy-to-read efforts, and is highly improbable as well
as highly entertaining. The second work‘is of very recent vintage, de¬
picting the fate of eight million New Yorkers who are projected back
several millenia into the uninhibited regions of the subconscious, and
is on a par with its companion work.

NEW COLLECTORS' GROUP: When as unusual a person as Paul Dennis
O'Connor holds the reins.of a book publishing company one may confid¬
ently expect unusual results -- and fans were not disappointed during
1948. NOG issued a misdated copy of The Black Wheel , a novel begun by
A. Merritt and completed and illustrated by Hannes Bok. Those who had
a magnifying glass powerful enough to bring -the microscopic print into
readily visible size .found that they had wasted thei.r time after read¬
ing it -- unless they tossed away said glass and judged the work ei¬
ther by what others said or what they would like to have it be. For ,
no matter how you look at it, The Black Wheel is inferior Merritt and
inferior Bok. The oversized sleazy format, moreover, is simply atroci-

THE FANTASY ANNUAL

ous. Tiiis three-dollar took may well become a rarity, however, if
O'Connor's allegation that but a thousand copies were printed is true.

It is difficult for an outsider to judge how many copies of Laf-
cadis Hearn's Some Chinese Chosts there are in the New Collectors' ed¬
ition. I have seen one letter from Mr. O'Connor to a buyer wherein he
states categorically that 500 were printed. I have been told by anoth¬
er that the figure 2000 was specifically mentioned in writing. And
those who attended the February 1949 meeting of the Eastern Science
Fiction Association in Newark know that the same Mr. O'Connor claimed
from the speaker's rostrum that he had already sold 2200 copies of the
first edition. Well, take your pick. Whatever you choose to believe,
Hearn's book is of excellent quality, though'I am surprised any com¬
pany would put out an edition of a volume that up until a few years
ago was available for 950 in the Modern Library. It is a slim book,
quite short, and priced at two dollars.

PRIME PRESS : This firm's offerings consisted of one novel and
two collections of short stories. The former, Jack Bechdolt's The
Torch , is a rather overrated tale of the future, reprinted from Argosy
of 1920; its scene is ruined New York in 3010 A. D., and as I read it
pleasant memories of Van Tassel Sutphen's Doomsman (where, the identi¬
cal setting is employed) were conjured up. The Torch struck me as
better than this predecessor, however.

One of the collections, Theodore Sturgeon's Without Sorcery , is a
dubious item in this list. It is dated 1948, but appeared in my neigh¬
borhood in January 1949. I am giving it the benefit of the doubt and
calling it a 1948 issue. (Perhaps it would not be amiss at this point
to call attention to small publishers' carelessness in dating their
'productions; it may not be a point of great importance, but it does
seem one for them to keep in mind.) In any event, though such popular
tales as "Microcosmic God" and "Butyl and the Breather" are to be
found in Sturgeon's collection, I was disappointed not to find, say,
"Killdozer" or the much talked about "Bianca's Hands". The collection
is above average, however, and well worth the three dollars asked.

The same words — heavily underscored — apply to » ...And Some
Were Human" by Lester del Rey. Unquestionably this is one of the out¬
standing volumes of the year, with such admirable entries as "The Cop¬
persmith," "Helen Q'Loy," &nd "Forsaking All Others." These are eleven-
stories you won't soon forget, adroitly illustrated by Sol Levin, The
format, as with other Prime Press issues, is good.

SHASTA PUBLISHERS : 1948 was Shasta's first year, and four books
emphatically indicate that it is in the field to stay. All of these
books are neat in appearance, and boast jacket-designs of varying in¬
terest by Hannes Bok. One is easily disposed of: L. Ron Hubbard's
Slaves of Sleep , wherein adventure easily triumphs over literary qual¬
ity and gore takes the place of art. This book warrents little atten¬
tion; it is an entertaining, enough effort if you're not finicky over
your fare, but in a period when so many really good titles are avail-

LIMITED EDITION PRESSES

able, there is little point in exchanging three dollars for a story
you are likely never to•reread. .

On .a slightly higher level is The Wheels, of If > which contains
several short stories by L. Sprague de Camp in_addition to the brief
title novel. These awaken a few nostalgic reminiscences of Lest Dark -
ness Fall and The Incomplete Enchanter , but never.really excell. One
cannot belabor either Shasta or Mr. de Camp on this account, however,
since the latter never intended the pieces as more.than the unpretep
tious time-killers they succeed in being. Let your pocketbook decide
whether to buy it or not.

The same criterion should help you make up your mind anent editor
Everett F. Bleiler's Checklist of Fantastic Literature . I have already
spoken about overpricing in the fantasy field, and shall pause here
only to point out that this book sold to dealers before publication-
for three dollars; little familiarity witp higher mathematics is need¬
ed to compute the approximate profit Shasta makes at the current price
of' six. In any event the Ch ecklist contains over 5000 titles in the
genre, indexed both by author and title for easy reference. It is the
most ambitious to date of the several checklists that have appeared,
and deserves careful attention from every serious collector in' the
field. To enter into a detailed discussion of its good and bad fea¬
tures is obviously beyond the scope of this article, but after study¬
ing it carefully I can make a few broad generalizations that may serve
to guide prospective purchasers. In scope, first of all, it tends to
be too liberal in its inclusion of titles as fantasy. In aata cited,
its accuracy leaves much to be desired. In format, it. is. good: the

print is legible, the size is conveniently portable, the binding is
durable enough to stand up under wear and tear. In purpose, it is com-
mendably above reproach. I would not recommend it to you if you are a.

• veteran collector, unless you are a completist, for a. few hours with
a borrowed copy will serve your needs adequately. I would recommend
it, however, if you are relatively new at the collecting game, for it
will be of great service to increasing your horizonsin the field --
but with the reservation that you examine any Checklist title person¬
ally before buying: Bleiler is not the- La,st Word, And. remember, an -
investment like this is worthwhile only if you use it; if you do not
buy several dozen out-of-print books a year regularly, you won t. •

Happily we need make no critical reservations whatsoever in men¬
tioning John W. Campbell’s Who Goes There? There is not the slightest
doubt that Shasta has put out one of the best collections of science
fiction ever to appear -- in 1948 or any year at all. The seven long--
ish short stories here vary in quality from well above average to
classic status. I cannot imagine any fan disliking even one, and I
would be surprised if the average non-fan wasn't pleased with a major¬
ity of them. At three dollars this is definitely a prewar buyi

VENTURE PRESS: I understand that this company issued during 1948
a volume of anti-scientific Shaverisms titled I_ Remember Lemuria And
The Return of Sathanas. I haven't seen it, don't want to, and would¬
n't tell you where you could get it if I knew myself.

THE FANTASY ANNUAL

* # * # #

Rather than end on the sour note of the paragraph just above, I'd
like to recommend to fans who have to watch their pennies the best
buys of 19481 If I were in your shoes, I'd spend my limited funds on
the following small-press books (which I am not listing, by the way,
in a.ny order of quality):

Who Goes There? : The Fourth Book of Jorkens ; Life Everlasting ;
Final Blackout; . And Some Were Human 11 ; Oarnacki the Ghost-finder;
and Roads.

That is twenty dollars' worth of entertainment, variety, and
sheer quality that would be hard to equal, and which you can eventual¬
ly sell at no loss of capital.

# * * ***■»■*

BRITISH FANTASY

1948 was a noteworthy year for most fantasy collectors. English
publishers, particularly T. Werner Laurie, not only printed many good
new science fiction and fantasy books, but also reprinted a number of
American fantasies. Several authors well known in other fields turned
their attention to fantasy. Dennis Wheatley's The Haunting of Tob y.
jugg (Hutchinson, 13/6) is a well thought out yarn, while others, may
find Pelham Groom's The Purple Twilight (Laurie, 9/6) more to their
liking. Groom, author of a popular series about the adventures. of
Peter Mohune, takes a crack at the fantastic element for the. first
time by sending his character to Mars. He does a fair job of it, ex¬
cept that at times he seems bewildered by his new element. He moves
from a methodical, scientifically sound progression of plot to a jar¬
ring note as Mars inadvertently fosters the destruction of Atlantis,
in what is almost an aside.

George Borodin's Sp urious Sun (Laurie, 8/6) deals with a slow
atomic reaction set up in the Earth's atmosphere and the consequent
political repercussions. Bernard Newman's The Fly ing Saucer (Gollancz
9/6) has a rather well-tried theme, a fake attack from another planet
(Mars) to unite the bickering nations, but his brilliant construction
more than makes up for this. The book is also redeemed by an element
of humor.

Lord Dunsany's The Fourth Book of Jorkens (Jarrold, 9/6) is a
collection of S3 humorous yarns in the usual Jorkens style. Yves Gan-
don's The Last White Man (Cassell, 9/6) is a translation of ' a French
satire about the last white man in the world, and Pawns in Ice, by
Henry Gibbs (Jarrold, 9/6) is the story of the last three soldiers in
a future war — an Englishman, an American and a Russian. In the same
vein is S. Parkman's Life Begins Tomorrow (Hodder and Stroughton, 9/6)
which tells of the few survivors of a world depopulated by a new
plague;

BOOKS. . . .

SAM MOSKOWITZ

BRITISH ■FANTASY' BOOKS

Old time fans will remember George C. Wallis, who in collabora¬
tion wit'h his brother Bruce wrote "The World at Bay" in the old Ama¬
zing Stories and numerous tales of adventurous science for Weird Tales .
Passable thenWalli s ; i s little better today, appearing sadly juvenile
and lacking'In literary skill in his new work The Pal i of Peter Gas-
kell ('World 1 s Work, 5/-)* a story of a beautiful Inca queen in a. lost
Amazonian city who attempts to dominate the world through hypnotism.

Desmond Leslie's Angels Weep (Laurie, 8/6) is described as an at¬
tack on a totalitarian England of the future, whilst J. Jefferson•Far-
jeon' s■ Death of a World (Collins, 8/6) is a somewhat mystifying story
of interplanetary explorers discovering a devastated Earth (after
World War III) and the inevitable diary of Mr. Smith in a box of in¬
destructible metal.

The Breaking of the Seals by Francis Ashton (Dakers, 1946), was a
novel considered legitimate collectors' fare in the United States, and
those who have read it will be interested to learn that the. author has
written a new fantasy of Atlantis titled. Alas , That Great Pity , which
is readable, entertaining fiction in the tried-and-true Atlantean mold.
It was published by Dakers at 9/6.

Of passing note is Fall of the House of Heron by Eden Phillpots
(Hutchinson, 9/6), which is one of the "and still they come" tales of
atomic energy, and noteworthy largely because it is written by the
author of the highly collectable Saurus .

Ewart p. Jones' How Now , Brown Qow (Home and Van Thai, 7/6) is an
amusing story, of metamorphosistry, whilst Walter Owen's More Thing s in
Heaven (Dakers, 10/6) is a new. murder mystery with a black magic
twist. The prevalence of Witchcraft (Chatto, 9/6) is a tale of Indian
witchcraft and Mervyn Wall's Return of Fursey (Pilot Press, 9/6) is a
fantasy about a magician in 10th century Ireland. Russell Thorndike's
Master of the Macabre (Rich and Oowan, 8/6) is a-fairly well-told tale
abounding in weird details,- whilst ■ Shadows of Ecstasy (Faber, 8/6) . by
Charles Williams is quite a well-written story.

There have been several juvenile science fiction books, Voyage of
the Luna I and Flights into the Future being particularly noteworthy.

Among the collections, Gerald Heard's The Great Fog and Other
Weird Tales (Cassell, 8/6) has appeared in at least two different edi¬
tions in the States, where the British-born author is known as H. F.
Heard. Great Tales of Terror and the Supernatural (Hammond, 18/-) is
an 800-page tome containing 52 stories. It is a reprint of the U. S.
and Canadian edition edited by Herbert A. Wise and Phyllis Frazer for
Random House. The Midnight Reader (Bodley Head, 10/6), edited by Phil¬
ip Van Doren Stern, is a collection of weird stories that suffers from
the fact that most of them are over 40 years old and familiar to most
fans. The Dawn's Delay by Hugh Kingsmill (Eyre & Spottiswoode, 10/6)
is a collection which contains, in addition to the author's well known
novel "The Return of William Shakespeare", three other novelettes, two
of which are fantasy.

THE FANTASY ANNUAL

A very important "book is The Best Short Stories of 1L_ Pj_ Shi el ,
which contains twelve of that famous author's short stories selected
by John Gawsworth. Known in this country because of his novel The Pur¬
ple Cloud, and recently the subject of a $6.00 bibliographical volume
by A. Reynolds Morse, issued by Fantasy Publishing Co., Inc., Shiel is
a collector's item, and his appeal lies largely in his unique style,
which is luxuriant to the point of being verbose, yet retains a vigor
in presentation and novelty in phrasing that rescues it from dullness.

There have been many fantasy reprints in Britain during 1948,
Charles Williams' Place of the Lion (Gollancz, 7/6) is now in the
Strange Fiction Library series, whilst two of Haggard's book, She and
Montezuma's Daughter, have been reprinted by Macdonald in illustrated
editions at 8/6 each, with the promise, of three more to follow. H. G.
Wells' War ojL the Worlds (Heinemann, 6/-) and The First Men in the
Moon (Eyre and Spottiswoode, 6/-) are also available. Dennis Wheat-
Tey T s They Found. Atlantis (Hutchinson, 6/-) and Jack London's The Iron
Heel (Laurie, 6/~) are two old favorites now reprinted. C. S. Viereck
and - Paul Eldridge's M£ First 3000 Years (Citadel Press, 13/6), a story
of the Wandering Jew, and Charles G. Finney's The Circus of Dr. Lao
have also been reprinted. The illustrations in the latter are by G. N.
Fish, instead of Artzybasheff, who did the pictures for the U. S.
edition published by Abramson's Argus Books. Ray Bradbury's Dark Car¬
nival (Hamish Hamilton, 9/-) is a really fine collection by the mas¬
ter, and is as welcome as Derleth's and Lovecraft's The Lurker at.
the Threshold (Museum Press, 8/6).

Amongst other reprints are Gerald Heard's Dop p elgangers (Cassell,
9/6) , Thorne Smith's Topper Takes A Trip (Guild Books (Surplus) Ser¬
vices Edition, l/-), George Orwell's satirical Animal Farm (Seeker and
Warburg, 6/-), Karl Capek's An Atomic Phantasy — formerly known as
Kr.akatit (Allen and Unwin, 9/6), J. D. Beresford's well known Hamp¬
den shire Wonder (Eyre and Spottiswoode, 6/-) and Upton Sinclair's play,
about an a-bomb attack on America, A Giant's Streng th (Laurie, 2/6).

TOP FANTASY BOOKS

1. Who Goes There? (John W. Campbell, Jr.)

2. Sinister Barrier (Eric Frank Russell)

3. The World of A (A. E. van Vogt)

4. Beyond This Horizon (Robert A. Heinlein)

5. Strange Ports of Call (August Derleth, editor)

6. Moomfoam and Sorceries (Stanley Mullen)

7. Slaves of Sleep (L. Ron Hubbard)

8. Space Cadet (Robert A. Heinlein)

9. Final Blackout (L. Ron Hubbard)

10. ...And Some Were Human (Lester del Rey)

11. Genius Loci and Others (Clark Ashton Smith)

12. Life Everlasting (David H. Keller, M. D.)

13. Death's Deputy (L. Ron Hubbard)

14. Checklist of Fantastic Literature (E. F. Bliiler)
A Treasury of Science Fiction (Groff Conklin, ed.)

16. The Black Flame (Stanley G. Weihbaum)

(3)

260

(6)

245

(8)

215

(1)

(3)

(1)

(2)

(1)

□

'Ey Jlapp9

M&GJ&2BWGES

In This Section ;

AMERICAN PRO SINES...’.. page 80

FOREIGN PROZINES...page 118

THE SEMI-PROS..page 113

POLL RESULTS: TOP PROZINE STORIES.page 117

PROZINE CHECKLIST, 1948....page.118

TOP PRO AUTHORS..page 119

POLL RESULTS: TOP PRO ARTISTS...page 130

Though perhaps supplanted by the collecting
of fantasy books as #1 passion of the rabid fan¬
tasy enthusiast, the reading and collecting of
fantasy magazines remained one of the primary
activities of all fans, and perhaps the activity
which most generally characterized fandom.

Astounding Science Fiction was still re¬
garded as the bible of the dyed-in-the-wool sci-'
ence fictionist, but TWS and Startling , under
the guidance of Sam Merwin, Jr., and the famous
pulp impressario, Leo Margulies, matured and
forged ahead to a position hot far behind that
of John Campbell's favorite magazine. Fantastic
Novels was revived in January and found favor
with many once more, and at year's end, Super
Science Stories was revived by the same publish¬
er, after a lapse of five years.

The following prozine reviews, are not com-
pletist, except in the case of Astounding , where
all fiction (but not articles) has been comment¬
ed on. The issues reviewed are those dated 1948
though in some case-4 they actually appeared , in
late 1947. The Prozine Checklist, annually com¬
piled by Ackerman, is reprinted courtesy Fantasy
Advertiser .

Snearyo ^Pederson

- 79 -

.by ARTHUR H. RAPP

A ME A: CAN PROZINES

Without changing its 350 pricetag, Amazing reflected the infla¬
tion of 1948 by contracting from 178 page's in January to 154 in Decem¬
ber. This was no' new phenomenon, however, but merely the continuation
of a trend which began during the war, at a time when, with 344 pages,
Amazing could boast of the quantity, if not the quality, of its offer¬
ings.

One of Amazing 1 s best features is its policy of printing book-
length fiction. While FFMand FN'use lengthy reprints, Amazing mater¬
ial is new — and therefore the only source of inspiration to the ever
hungry author whose output must be calculated in terms of a possible
market. Admittedly, however, most of the 60,000-worders Amazing pub¬
lishes are rather inconsequential thud-and-blunder.

JANUARY : "Flight of the Starling" by Chester S. Oeier invokes

the concept of a faster-than-light ship being projected into the fu¬
ture, and the efforts of its crew to reverse the process. Rog Phillips
•contributes an excellent tale, "Hate", involving a thought- materiali-
zer and typical Phillips-style complications. With fine handling of
plausible-sounding science angles, this tale-makes memorable reading,

FEBRUARY : A beauty of a cover by Malcolm Smith illustrates S. J.
Byrne's "Prometheus II", which involves a war with Russia and assorted
deroes. The action centers upon the Russki-dero beachhead in South
America, and the Elder Cods come charging down like the U. S, cavalry
in a Republic horse-opera, just as things look darkest, "The Phantom
Hands" by- Livingston is one of those unique ' Z-D shorts that always
leave me with a befuddled feeling. In no other mag are such persis¬
tent attempts made to cross stf with fantasy to produce a hybrid-cum-
occult freak literature which must appeal to someone on the editorial
board of Ziff-Davis. "Strictly from Mars" by Bob Bloch is one of those
attempted-invasion yarns. Nice.

MARCH ; A luscious wench on the cover proclaims immediately that
this time we lead off with a Shaver yarn. "Cods of Venus" is life
among the Venusian Amazons, with the usual paraphenalia. On pp 74-75
we have one of the grisliest BEMs (by Rod Ruth) that I've seen in some
while. "The Egg of Time" by Millen Cooke reminds me of Bradbury, for
some reason. Enjoyable. "Everything But the Sink" is juvenilia by

- 80 -

AMERICAN PROZINES

Livingston. "Flesji Against Spirit" by Ale xanderBlade * an ot £®|
freak of the stf-occult type. This issue is the first to feature the
"Club House".column by Rog Phillips, which soon proved to be one of
the best fan departments ever published in a prozme.

APRIL: The cover depicts a spider about to grab a Pipe? 0utl > n ?^

to- mention the hero and his inevitable female companion, 8^ J

notable for having the most disproportionate breasts I ye. ever seen,
in two dimensions or three. This presumably attracts the att<ention of
people passing newsstands and causes them to droolmgly shell out fo
the mag. "The Monster from Mars" is the tale that goes with the covpr.
Alexander Blade. "Wa-al, Bust Mah Britches!" by J. J. Pelletier. Is¬
n't the title comment enough? "Secret of the Yellow Crystal by
Archette is a probing-the-lost-secrets-of-Mars epic, with a good twist*
at the end. Very readable.

MAY: Ghengis Khan, a bomb, and a fleet of battleships clutter
the cover. "Armageddon" by Craig Browning is the excuse for all this,
and can be pigeonholed under the classification Man-invents-spaceship-
oontacts-extraterrestrial-civilization. Not too bad. Forgotten Ha
des" by Lee Francis is a rather pointless thing about a race of dwarfs
living in swamps near New York City. Forgettable. This was £be issue
that, at interminable last, the S***** M*****Y is "proved" — to RAP's
satisfaction, that is. He quotes such eminent authorities as Fate.

JUNE: There's a gal on the cover neatly adorned in a couple feet
of chairTand a jeweled clip in her hair. Unfortunately, the technique
of the artist is so poor that the effect of the cover is neither art¬
istic nor pornographic. Shaver and Geier collaborate on "Ice City oi
the Gorgon" which concerns a lost city in the Antarctic. "Lunar Mon¬
key Business" by Warren East el is about what you would expect. ,1 don t
mean to'imply that this type of thing is crud — I can remember many a
chuckle from one or another of these wacky Amazing shorts in the first
several years I read stf. Of course, those were the days of Lefty
Feep, etc., but....

JULY : The second half of the year begins with a cover that gives

me a chuckle every time I look at it. Despite the fact that it is not
at all bad as futuristic city covers go, one's initial ^impression is
that the man and woman are turning away in horror from the lurid scene
confronting them. On the back of the mag, conversely, we have the in¬
sides from someone's thermos bottle, propped up for the edification of
a group of science fiction fans — pardon, I see they're chimpanzees.
Inside the mag we find "The Man from Agharti" by the deGcurcy's. This
compound of stf and occultism failed to ring the bell with me, al¬
though I do greatly admire the Krupa illo which accompanies it. In

fact, I have the original staring at me across the typer at +- " c
ment. Lovely.

this

AUGUST: Cover — red grasshoppers or something, and a femme
whose clothing has somehow been ripped in all the right places, yet
whose skin remains unscratched. I won't mention her neatly-arranged
hairdo. Ain't science wonderful? "Holy Land" by Tenneshaw is a fugi-

THE FANTASY ANNUAL

tive from Fantastic Adventures . "Starship from Sirius" by Rog Phillips
features a beautiful illo by Henry Th'iede and 70 pages of outstanding
stf by an author whose work is consistently. excellent. This is one of
the gems which make me wade through Amazing month after crud-filled
month. This is, I believe, more or less a sequel to "So Shall Ye Reap"
— or rather is based on the same concepts. "Dead on Arrival" by Rob¬
ert Morrison.... Oh well, what do you want for-one month?

SEPTEMBER : "The’Squirrel People" by John ,0. Ross is a Burroughs¬

like version of the standard .Lilliputian-.race. idea. Only fair, "New
Face — Sane Heel" by Samuel F. Roeca must be number 475648493-ij in the
what-really-happened-to-der-fuhrer series. It is not'too bad,' especi¬
ally since the author seems to have a thorough knowledge both of Ger¬
many and of medicine, the two principal■ingredients of the plot. "Ti¬
tan's Daughter" by Shaver is more Venusian Amazon thud-and-blunder, no .
better and no worse than its predecessors.

OCTOBER: This features a rather cluttered cover. The first.story
is titled "Cube Root of Conquest" by Rog Phillips, which is inaccurate¬
ly rendered in mathematical symbols on the cover. I trust this was not
of Phillips' doing.. The yarn, though, was pretty good. "Death of- a
B.E.M. " by Livingston: Look at the illo and imagine your o.wn story.
It will be-better than hack Berkeley-turned out this month. "The Re¬
turn of Tharn" by Howard Browne is a- three-part serial. In case » you
haven't been around that long, Tharn departed via "Warrior in the
Dawn" in Amazing , December 1942 and January 1943. This shows, perhaps,
that Ziff-Davis credits its readers with faithful adherence to the ha¬
bit of shelling out for Amazing every month, year after eon. If you
go for caveman epics, this is perhaps as good or better than most of
ERB's stuff. "The Brain" by Alexander Blade. Outstanding,' Blade , _ as
you know, is one of Z-D' s house-names. While I suspect that Phillips
may have had a typer in this tale, I'd be more apt to credit it to RAP
himself. At any rate, whoever wrote it deserves a few laurels. The
story of a robot calculator that got out of hand, it is stef of the
first water, and could also be interpreted as an allegory of the atom-
bomb dilemma.

NOVEMBER : Quickly running down the contents page after a brief

shudder at. the-cover, we find: "The Eye of Wilbur look", "Cold.Ghost",
"Castle of Terror", "Phantom of the Forest", "The Return of Tharn",
"Oogie Finds Love", and "Day of the Druid". You can imagine how much
stf the yarns contain, I heard the same comment from several fans af¬
ter they had read this issue: " Fantastic Adventures with an Amazing
cover. " It is a moot question whether RAP borrowed from the F.A. back¬
log in a pinch, or whether this is a deliberate attempt to win F.A.
readers to Amazing , if not vice versa. Whatever the cause, the result
was slightly, nauseating to those fans who prefer stf in a stfmag and
fantasy in a fantasy magazine where it belongs.

DECEMBER : A beautiful cover— a woman's face highlighted -in
green and red from opposite sides. This issue fairly leaped from the
newsstand display. McCauley is the artist. I believe this is the best
cover Amazing has run since the one for "Murder in Space" back in '44/
"Daughter of the.Night" by Shaver is a somewhat interesting blend of

AMERICAN PR03INES " 83

mythology, mayhem and, of course, sex. It is worth reading. "The Un¬
thinking Destroyer" by Rog Phillips is not so hot. It makes an inter¬
esting point — that intelligence need not necessarily be recognizable
to humans as such — but once having made the point, it labors it un¬
mercifully "Beyond the Thunder" by H. B. Hickey. Gallant hotshots
ride the spaceways. You've read it"a thousand times before; you might
as Well enjoy it again.

SUMMARY: In general, Ama zing took a definite, though slight, down¬

hill course during 1948. Readable stories popped up now and then, but
the intervals between were lengthier. The shrinking size makes it a
two-way stretch, and some day the breaking point is going to be reach¬
ed. After all, 250 is 250, even in these inflationary times. The sad¬
dest thing is, the Z-D stable contains a number of competent writers.
With a few cracks of the editorial whip, Palmer, could give the rest of
the publishers some stiff competition in a literary, as well as a com¬
mercial, sense. I wish he'd try it, and see if the drooling morons
which apparently constitute his idea of "the average reader" are real¬
ly so repelled by literary craftsmanship after all.

tsA j J v < U I ^

Despite the handicap of its small-size format, aSF year after year
leads the field by a margin so vast that comparisons are ludicrous.
How does Campbell do it? The answer is deceptively obvious. JWCJr has
a clear idea of what constitutes a good stfyarn, and prints only ma¬
terial which conforms to his proven standard. You never find in aSF an

"offtrail" yarn presented as an experiment to see if readers like it.

Campbell knows what his audience likes, and sees that.they get a gene¬
rous helping of it each month. And after ten years ih the editorial

chair he has developed a stable of writers he can depend upon, so that

never yet has an issue of aSF been obviously scraped from the bottom
of the manuscript barrel.

•It is with some trepidation that I tackle the job of reviewing
aSF, 1948, for while it would be silly to praise every yarn, I cannot,
offhand, recall a single story in Astounding that I. did not enjoy
reading. That goes not only for 1948, but for every issue I've seen.

JANUARY: This issue features a fairly good cover by Hubert Rog¬

ers,' showing a submarinish spaceship descending upon., a snow-covered
landscape.'' After a Campbellian report on the latest in atomic-pile
operation, we find the story the cover illustrates, "Now You See It",
by Isaac Asimov, another in his awe-inspiring saga of the Foundation.

THE FANTASY ANNUAL

Better than van Vogt or any of the Smiths, Asimov is able to make his
galaxy-spanning concepts'and incredibly-advanced technology believable
— and, what is more, he keeps the emphasis firmly where it belongs:
on the human characters'in his yarns.

"The'Helping Hand" by Burt MacFadyen is a novel handling of the
familiar time-travel, paradox, the story, suffering mainly from an ex¬
cess of exposition which:should have been..replaced by action. "Advent"
by William Bade: This is laid on an unspecified planet, at an unspeci¬
fied time. Apparently the sky is covered with perpetual clouds, and
from some cataclysm of the past, the race has sunk into decadence and
superstition. Thus when a spaceship arrives;its .personnel are wor¬
shipped. The story is readable as it stands, but if Bade intended to
point a moral, he made its background too vague for- me to get the
point. Part III of "Children of the Lens" completes, the fictional
contents of the issue.

FEBRUARY : The second of Alejandro Canedo's series of symbolic

covers graces this month's aSF. Man, standing on a cloudbank, fuses
two thunderbolts into the familiar, atomic-orbit symbol. ^

"There Is No Defense" by Theodore. Sturgeon is the first story in
the issue. This is one of Sturgeon's best, packed with action and
conflict, yet also crammed with philosophical implications and plenty
of ingenious technology. Briefly, the yarn portrays the conflict of
pacifism and militarism, with the usual aSFish lament over science'- 1
use for destructive purposes.

"New Lives for Old" by William Bade is a great improvement over
his January contribution. In this one he conceives a post-atomic war
world in which the Science Centers are the great educational and tech¬
nological leaders, among their discoveries being a cure for catatonic
insanity. When reactionary elements view the Centers, as a threat to
democracy, Center personnel is forced to remove the opposition. There
is a rather disturbing assumption in the tale that scientists are jus¬
tified in using their power to rule the world, regardless of how the
populace feels about it.

John D. MacDonald's "Cosmetics", correctly blurbed "an interest¬
ing proposition on the Importance of Being Ugly", and the final instal¬
ment of E. E. Smith's "Children of the Lens" are also featured-.

MARCH : Rogers' cover based on Jack Williamson' s "...And Search¬

ing Mind" is nicely done, but rather eye-shocking, what with a green-
eyed, red-bearded man dominating the scene. The first instalment of
this serial fills the front of the issue. This lengthy tale showed
that Williamson is still in the front rank of stfwriters, and was well
worth the space devoted to it. The deceptively simple theme of "With
Folded Hands..." is here expanded into a vast and complex struggle,
with the fate of mankind in the balance, and the force of matter being
ultimately discarded for the more subtle, but deadlier, -weapons of
parapsychology.

Ceorge 0. Smith's "Incredible Invasion" is a biological-warfare
.variation on. -the at-omi£ , eddon theme'which aSF has exploded so thorough-

.AMERICAN PRO SINES

1 y while "West Wind” hy Murray Leinster takes up. the other spawn of
' The Bomb — radioactive dust. In a gripping narrative, Leinster des¬
cribes the defeat of an aggressor nation by its planned victim a

■ theme, that loses some of its appeal when one reflects that winning a
war isn't in itself much of a step toward peace.

"Film of Death" by J. Scott Campbell uses a nice twist on the
usual world menace plot, but again I must make the pessimistic obser¬
vation that, although humanity may unite in the face of common danger,
history hints strongly that the combination is just about as unstable
as the oxygen-19 the other Campbell writes of ip his editorial. "Her
Majesty's Aberration" by Rene Lafayette brings another episode of Ole
Doc Methuselah's meddling in planetary politics, against the rules of
his profession.

"The Endochronic properties of Resublimated Thiotimoline" by
Isaac Asimov is an article which must be mentioned. It presents data,
graphs, and a thoroughgoing bibliography on this specialized branch of
cherni stry.

APRIL: A Bonestell cover illustrating "Man on Mira", an astrono¬

mical article by R. S. Richardson, is one of the year's best. It is
one of those paintings that have to be studied for several minutes be¬
fore the full effect hits you,

"Ex Machina" by Lewis Padgett brings back Gallagher., the well-
soused genius, and his unique companion Joe, not to mention Grandpa,
who is somewhat of a character himself. To me, this series is the^ fun¬
niest yet written, all the more so because its humor is only inciden¬
tal-to the plots, which could hold their own in the magazine even if
written in serious vein. Padgett's basic concept is that eventually
technology and sociology must clash, and the casual way in which the
resultant chaos is incorporated into the story couldn't be bettered.

"He Walked-Around the Horses" by H. Bearn.Pipe! is based on the
best-authenticated case of a supernatural manifestation in. history:
the disappearance of British diplomat Benjamin Bathurst while .on a
trip through Prussia. The story is more likely to interest history
fiends than stfen in general, being a standard, variation.on the alter¬
nate-worlds theme, and is really only a preliminary to Piper's yarn in
the July Astounding .

"The House Dutiful" is a rather implausible tale-by William Tenn
of a dwelling which is just about perfect. The idea is charming, but
the author errs in giving his super-gimmick too much power. As with
Superman, once readers are convinced that nothing is impossible, all
suspense disappears.

A. Bertram Chandler has a well-done tale in "New Wings" of the
remnants of humanity, survivors of atomigeddon, struggling to exist on
Mars, prevented by superstition from attempting to reach Venus in the
rusting spaceship which stands neglected in the desert. This is one
of Chandler's finest yet. Part II of "...And Searching Mind" completes
the issue.

8(3

THE FANTASY ANNUAL

MAY : Alejandro Canedo presents another of his symbolic covers,

this one showing atomic power as the step between -primitive man and
superman. This issue 1 s feature story ip- '"The Rull-"., in which. A. E,
van Vogt pulls another plot out of the concepts he originally explored
in ".Go-operate or Else" and "The Second Solution", some' years ago. It
is one of those human vs, alien conflicts, nicely wrapped up in vV 1 s
superb, ability .to conjure up weird but plausible gadgets of the future,

Leinster's "Strange Case of John Kingman" presents an old Amazing
standby: the resident of the loony-bin who really has some basis for
his delusions. But there are some different twists to this'one, and a
competence in writing which Amz seldom attains. Except for the rather
flat ending, this yarn is well up to aSF's standards. "The Obsolete
Weapon" by L. Ron Hubbard concerns a 0.. I. in Rome, who does a bit of
involuntary time-traveling and is forced to put on a show in the Col¬
osseum for Nero's benefit. John D. MacDonald's "Mechanical Answer" is
a wonderful' piece of work. The theme explores.the problem of construc¬
ting an intelligent machine. The solution is plausible, the charac¬
terization is well done,- and the style is excellent.

The final instalment of "...And Searching Mind" is also present.

' JUNE :' Timmins' interesting but somewhat chaotic cover symbolizes
Eric Frank Russell's' "Dreadful Sanctuary", which begins this issue.
This lengthy serial occupied almost half the magazine for three issues
and proved to be a novel and timely yarn. Personally, I enjoyed the
story very much, and have heard it praised highly by other fans, main¬
ly comparitive newcomers. Graying slans, conversely, seemed to believe
that '"Dreadful Sanctuary" contained'too little science which is not
almost within our grasp today. Following close on the - heels of the
Smith and Yvilliamson serials, it was certainly a startling change of

pace. Probably that is the very reason Campbell used it.

SI. $ae first short is Asimov's "No Connection" with, an idea that has

not been overworked of late. The tale is laid in a future when man
has vanished - from the planet, and other species have developed intell¬
igence as Well as civilization. Asimov's theme is the impact of such
a culture on that of a rational species and, although he concludes
without giving a definite answer to his own problem, the tale provides
much food for thought.

Judith Merril's "That Only A Mother" gives a new angle — the wo¬
man's viewpoint — on the atomigeddon theme. It is interesting to

compare this story with "Tomorrow's Children" (aSF, March 1947). Both
are excellently written but while Anderson and Yfaldrop have produced
a terrific story, the implications.of Merril's 1 tale really smash home
to the reader. This should be a ten-best .cinch for 1948.

"War of. Intangibles" by Erik Fennel takes pla.ce in a setting
faintly reminiscent of Padgett's "The Fairy Chessman" — a stalemated
inter-hemispheric war, with each side striving to, perfect the ultimate
weapon•firet. Some nice gadgefc involved, as well as plenty of zap -
zap. • ' '

AMERICAN PROZINES 87

: JULY: A superb Bonest ell painting .which is.^ almost photographic
in detail fronts this issue. Apparently it is another illustration for
"Dreadful Sanctuary", Part II of which is contained herein.

"Police Operation" by H. BeamVPiper is a dimensional-travel yarn
based on a quotation from,: Charles Fort's La. 1 , . Among other things, in
addition to developing its own plot, it explains the flying dis^s, the
wartime cigarette shortage, Fortean phenomena in general,.and devotes
one sentence to finishing "He Walked Around the Horses" in the April,
1949 aSF. This seems to be a literary gimmick found only in stf, Piper
has worked out a beautiful set of basics, which implies that this, may
be only the beginning of a series.

"Decision Illogical" by Neal B. Wilkinson blends space-travel -and
mysticism in a tale with a powerful psychological slant. Very. good.
John S. Browning's -"Burning Bright" also inclines toward mysticism, or
perhaps it might be called philosophical- inquiry. The theme is.- that
of intelligent robots who seek'a meaning to existence.

AUGUST: Canedo paints a symbolic cover once again — and even a
non-fan co-uld not fail .to get' its meaning: Atomic Power, The Key to
the Universe. 1

"Time Trap" has a complex plot distantly related to "By His Boot¬
straps" — yet the theme of this story by Charles Harness is entirely
unlike that of MacDonald's classic. This one is slickly written, fast-
paced, and gives one to think. What.more do you want ?

"Smaller Than You Think" by Kenneth Gray.has a new slant on the
galactic colonization idea. Although the action of the story - seems
over-complex for the character and motivation, it makes a 'very read¬
able tale. Chandler's "Dawn of Nothing" is a reversioh-to-savagery
piece of no particular merit, but interesting because it is laid jh
England instead of the United. States for a change. ""

hT he Monster" is one of the best short stories A. E. van Vogt: has
ever turned out. As in most of V-2's work, the basic theme is* socio¬
logical, yet it is set forth clearly without being allowed to -over¬
shadow the narrative itself. This story sounds almost like..an. Asi.ipov
yarn, but retains the characteristic style of its author and bis
preoccupation with superior mental'powers.

Concluding the issue's fiction is the finale • of Eric Frank Rus¬
sell's "Dreadful Sanctuary".

SEPTEMBER: Chesley Bohestell's cover illustrates "Paper planets ; "
another Richardson astronomical article, and shows a dark star .r— .dark
sun, one might say, since it is close enough to have a disk several
times larger than Sol — from a desolate cactus-dotted landscape,

George'0. Smith's "The Catspaw" is a fairly long (47 page) .' story
of an Earthman mysteriously given the science with which to build / an
interstellar drive, and of another scientist who warns that use of
the drive will touch off a chain-reaction in any nearby planet. '"The

THE FANTASY ANNUAL

tale is concerned with the conflict of these two men, and is.liberally
sprinkled with Geosmith*s inimitable glib technology, climaxing in a
rather corny scene where the mystery is solved.

"Dreams Are Sacred" by Peter Phillips might be considered a sort
of antithesis to "What Mad Universe"- in the September 1948 Startling .
This time it is a fantasy author who is creating the world, and a non¬
fan who gets involved in it. Amusing, and no doubt inspired by Phil¬
lips! reading of Planet .

Doc Methuselah is baGk again in Rene Lafayette's "Great Air Mono¬
poly", and the proceedings are on a par with others of the series.
Perhaps you get a kick out of these; I don't. "The Gorgons" by Mark
Chapman Lea concerns a castaway on an alien planet, where the natives
are a sight for sore eyes. Standard zap-zap, with a twist or two.

The groundwork for what promises i-to be an interesting t series is
laid in "Dance of a New World" by Jo-hn.P. MacDonald. The problem, of
selecting personnel .to colonize, other planets is considered here, in a
competently written, but not outstanding story. "Inheritance" by Ar¬
thur C. Clarke.is a superb narrative of the pioneers of space flight.
It was printed earlier in New Worlds #3 as by. "Charles .Willi s".

OCTOBER: Rogers depicts Superman in red flannels on the cover,, a
painting illustrative of A. E. van Vogt's "The Players of Null-A", the
new serial. This yarn shows van Vogt's characteristic many - stranded
plot, with the characters each wandering along an apparently isolated
path in the early part of the story, their part in the plot being ob¬
scure until the final scenes. Unless one has an eidetic memory, it is
necessary to read a van Vogt serial twice in order to figure out what
is going on. In my opinion, this sequel to "The World of Null-A" did
not come up to the level of that yarn. This time, vV seemed more pre¬
occupied with getting .Gosseyn in and out of dangerous situations, than
in presenting a unified story. At times he .depends on his ability to
dream up ingenious gadgets to carry the thread of his plot, and . at
other times "Players" becomes mere space opera in the E..E. Smith tra¬
dition.

What physical and mental qualities will be.necessary to a space¬
man? This question is answered in Joseph Farrell's "The Hero", a sto-
j?y of which, though it is adequately.handled,' any. fan will foresee the
whole plot development after the.first few paragraphs, "Unite and
Conquer" by Sturgeon is a well-written alien invader yarn — with a
difference. This is the best yarn in the issue.

The other stories in the issue are "Muten" by Duncan H. Munro, a
fairly wacky piece about a horse which talks and-has a fondness for
beer; "Tiger Ride" by James Blish and damon knight, an excellent yarn
in which weird happenings occur at an isolated research base, and
which provides a neat twist at the end; and "School for the Stars",
the second in John D. MacDonald's series on interstellar colonization.
This latter is much better than the previous- month's tale, being fast-
paced and with a minimum of zap-zap despite its . would-be dictator

AMERICAN PROZINES

NOVEMBER:' Another Rogers Cover this month. It is apparently
symbolic of vV's serial (Part H is in this issue). Not too striking.'

"Expedition Mercy" is the lead story this time, a living, infor¬
mative and — at times — horrifying account of a medical team’s ef¬
forts to determine what killed the. crew of a preceding expedition to
that strange planet. Exploiting'the same medical angle as the Methu¬
selah series, this tale does it more interestingly.

"The Love of Heaven" is another Sturgeon excursion into the realm
of philosophy — yet, like all his work, ■ the heavy themes are handled
in such a way that the reader is little conscious of them until he has
completed the story. This is not one of Sturgeon's best, by any means,
but neither is it his worst. "Period Piece" by J. J. Coupling is a
pleasantly gruesome story about a twentieth century man in the thirty-
first century, and his actions-after he discovers there is something
subtly wrong in the attitude of people toward him.

"In Hiding" by Wilraar H. Shi ran is perhaps the story of 1948
which best fits its own title. Presented without much ba.llyhoo, and
under an unknown byline, it is certainly one of the top two or three
yarns of the year. As Redd Boggs points out, this story . appeals es¬
pecially to avid fans, who have no difficulty in identifying them¬
selves with its hero; yet, disregarding that angle, the .story i‘s ... su¬
perbly written, with the science and the plot never allowed to over¬
balance the characterization, and presents the first new use of the
slan theme in several years.

DECEMBER : 4 beautiful Orban cover shows a shining spaceship

against the background of star-sprinkled blackness, with an inset
scene from either "G-enius" or "Late Night Final".

Poul Anderson's "Genius'? is the fascinating account of a planet
of "super-brains", and the Galactic Empire's indecision about whether
to let them alone in the hopes of learning from observation of_ them',
or to wipe out the whole planet before it becomes a threat to the ex¬
isting regime. Anderson's solution is quite unexpected. ■

Eric'Frank Russell's "Late Night Final" begins as a-barbed satire
of militarism, poses the mystery of an apparently defenseless people
who show no fear of an entire battle-fleet, and ends with a^ logical
and unanticipated answer. A fine story. Only tolerably funny is
"Bureau of Slick Tricks" by H. B. Fyfe which describes an Earthman's
difficulties'with'some alien VIPs. At times descending to. corn, this
story is at least packed with activity from start to finish.

SUMMARY: It is almost impossible to compare Astounding Science

Fiction with the other magazinesin the field. You know as well .as-1
do that the lowest-rated story in any issue of aSF would get three
.cheers and a gold star if it graced any other prozine's pages. This
produces a sort of self-sustaining chain reaction. Its high quality
has made aSF the goal-of every would-be stf writer. Although there is
little difference in the rates paid by any of the mags (at least, not
according to a comparison of their public statements on the subject),

THE FANTASY ANNUAL

I presume that ..Campbell .gets first choice of their output. At any
rate, there is little doubt that aSF in 1948 continued to lead the
field by a substantial'margin.

The Avon Fantasy Header is fantasy's counterpart of‘the whodunit
field 1 s Ellery Queen 1 s My stery Magazine . The principal difference' is
that the latter publishes considerable new work, while AFR has bought
'very few originals. Like EQMM,- one of AFR's best features is the edi¬
torial preface to each story, giving facts about the tale and its
author.

NUMBER FIVE : At the Torcon, Wollhei-m stated that the switch from
weird to sexy covers with this issue resulted in an enormous circula¬
tion Increase, This painting, which seems to . illustrate "Scarlet
Dream", shows a scantily-clad femme falling to onfe knee, surrounded by
a blue.aura, but while somewhat more daring than most of TWS' covers,
it is not to be compared with Earle Bergey's best.

The two top stories in this number are by masters of the old
Weird Tales .stable; C. L. Moore and Frank Owen.. "Scarlet Dream" by
0. L. Moore is the second Northwest Smith adventure to be reprinted in
AFR, and while not as famous as "Shambleau.", it is probably the best.
Few Writers anywhere have succeeded better than Catherine the Great in
depicting, the unreality of a dream such as that which Northwest exper¬
iences in this story. "A Study in Amber" (taken from Fireside My stery
Book ) is not one of Owen's best, but anyone who is enthralled by his
pastel fantasies of ancient China could scarcely call this a poor sto¬
ry.

One'of Avon Fantasy Reader's rare new stories is "The Random Quan¬
tity" by Carl Jacobi, a typically Jacobian effort — somewhat stereo¬
typed, but redeemed considerably by the author's erudition as related
■to the story he tells. Other selections in this issue include Cyril
Kornbluth's "Words of Guru" from- Stirring Science (1941); "Fane of the
Black Pharaoh", one of Bloch's earlier -- and more inferior — Weird
Tales acceptances; "Miracle of the Lily" by Clare Winger Harris, first
published in the Gernsback Amazing ; "The Gold Dress") by Stephen Vin¬
cent Benet — a story which .the anthologists so far have overlook¬
ed; and "Sambo", a tale by William Freyer Harvey. -r.b.

NUMBER SIX: The cover this time is indeed sexy, but that's, about
all you can say of it.

"The Crawling Horror" by Thorp McClusky takes up the case of a
BEM which mi mice other living creatures. The story is well told, with

AMERICAN' 'PROZINES

just sufficient hint of what happens'after the story closes to keep
the eerie mood intact. Another new story' is presented in. this, issue:
"From the Dark Waters" by Joseph E. KelHeaim. ■ This is. a powerful . and
moving tale of weird adventure in ancient Egypt. .

Three famous weird tale authors are 1 represented in this issue
with well known stories: H. P. Lovecraft with "Beyond the Wall, of
Sleep", David H. Keller with "The Thing in the Cellar", and_A._Merritt
with "The Drone". Other stories are: "The Metal Man",. .Williamson's
first published tale, and a rather interesting item.even now; "The Star
Stealers", an early Hamilton.space opera which-- if you Gan" ignore
such items as the hero's looking out a porthole and admiring the gal¬
axy while the spaceship travels-at 80 times the .speed of light is

also interesting stuff; "The Trap", a nice variation by Henry S, White
head of "Through the Looking-glass"; and "The philosophy of Relative
Existences" by Frank R. Stockton. This latter yarn is surprisingly mo¬
dern, despite its age, but is only fair fantasy.

NUMBER SEVEN: There is a very attractive cover on this issue...It
illustrates Sax Rohmer's "Curse of a Thousand Kisses", which proves...to
be a rather interesting, but inconsequential, mysterious-Orient yarn.

: This issue is worthwhile • for two sto.ries only: "Shambleau"., by

'Catherine L. Moore, which introduced the Northwest Smith series, and
set a stiff,pace for its successors, and "The Dreams of Albert More¬
land" by Fritz Leiber, Jr. The latter is one of those fantasies based
on the game of chess — and worthy of being matched with Carroll's and
Padgett's.

Filling the rest of the issue are "Aquella" by the editor, Don -
aid A. Wollheim, which is a fair-' twist on the horrified-alien-visitors!
theme; "The Slugly Beast" by Lord Dunsany, blurbed "an interesting de-•
parture from the interplanetary track", but more.accurately it could
be termed a nauseating hunk of corn; "The Cairn on the Headland", a
pleasantly-chilling yarn by Robert E. Howard, skilfully wound up in
Irish mythology; "The Empire, of the Necromancers", one of those "pure"
fantasies where the author — in this case Clark Ashton Smith — makes
up conglomerations of consonants for the names of .cities and countries
and relies on his descriptive passages to impress the reader; "The
Were-Snake" by F. B. Long, which is just what the title implies; and
"The Gun" by Frank Gruber — a standard Western with one inexplainable
incident. There is also a fragment from A. Merritt's unpublished work
— "When Old Gods Wake". This is the unfinished first chapter of an
unfinished novel, and I see no excuse for publishing it now. It would
be just as logical to reproduce the doodles he made on the wall ;.of a
telephone booth.

NUMBER EIGHT : The cover looks like a fugitive from a sketch-pad,
or perhaps a double-exposed photograph, presumably it is meant to de¬
pict a scene from Robert E t Howard's "Queen of the Black Coast 11 . This
Conan adventure — which is not already available in Skull-Face and
Othe rs, by the way — will please those who like slashing pirate cut¬
lasses on blood-slippery decks.

THE FANTASY ANNUAL

"Tile Machine Man of Ardathia" by Francis Flagg; One of those
pioneer time-travel stories in which'the author's real purpose is to
criticize the things he hate-s about our..civilization. This yarn is
interesting in a quaint sort of way. - ••

Otherwise in this issue there is "The Oat Woman" by Mary Eliza¬
beth Counselman, which — after reading a- dozen Weird Tales — you
could write around that title-yourself; "The Man With a Thousand Legs"
by F. B. Long, notable -chiefly-for the' ultra-BEM Long has dreamed up;
"Zero Hour" by Ray Bradbury, a-yarn, from planet Stories .of the. recent
past; "The Other Wing" by Algernon Blackwood, a nice creepy tale laid
in an English mansion, and told from .the viewpoint of a small b.oy;
"The Temple" by H.P.L., which is fairly good, but probably reaches the
ultimate in stereotyped characterization; . "The Goblins Will Get You",
by John B. Michel, which would have been at home in Unknown Worlds ,
and proves to'be a welcome change of pace, in. the dank mustiness of
AFR- "The Canal" by Everil Worrell,- vampire tale number ten-thousand¬
something; and, finally, "An Inhabitant of Carcosa", a forgettable
tale by Ambrose Bierce which sounds like a fugitive chapter from The
Snake pit . •.

SUMMARY: in many cases Wollheim prints- classical material — the
first use of a certain theme or concept. Often, since those days, the
motif has been repeated again and again until the original story needs
more than just the factor that made it famous,-if it is to make any
impression on present-day readers. About all AFR's infrequent excur¬
sions into science fiction prove is that stf has changed a lot since
the early days.

For a reprint magazine with no interior illustrations (low.pro¬
duction costs, you notice) it seems that .350 is an incredible price to
ask.

So close does Famous Fantastic My steries come to its readers
ideal of a prozine that they are often at a loss for suitable gripes.
At this writing some are even demanding trimmed edges, a controversy
which arises only from a lack of more exciting topics.

FFM allows its two wiz-ard brushmen:, Virgil Finlay and Lawrence,
to express their artistic abilities'to .the full, both on the covers
and within the magazine. At least part of the distinctive appearance
of FFM's cover comes from its ; invariable dark, near-black background,
which contrasts well with the delicate- outlining and shading of the
picture itself. Unfortunately, the artists have not yet found a way

AMERICAN PROZINES

to -compete with- the lurid sunburst title strip occupying the upper
third of the cover.

• FEBRUARY': The cover painting is symbolic, rat'her than, illustra¬

tive depicting- the well-intentioned professor who has - accidentally
brought chaos to-' England gazing at his handiwork in horror, while the
girl hovers in 1 the background, together with a dove of peace.

-The lead ribvel is "The Peacemaker", by C. S. Foreste'r, a story
that demonstrates that British writers can equal or better on occasion
anything produced on this side of the Pond. At any rate, it is a wel¬
come contrast to the usual samplings of British novels we have seen in
the past. In this story, Edward Pethwick, professor of mathematics,
and physics, stumbles upon a means of demagnetizing metal from a dis¬
tance, its most important by-product being that it raises merry hell
with an auto's ignition system. With idealistic determination to end
war, the professor begins a campaign of terrorism designed to force a
world disarmament conference, blundering because he cannot foresee mob-
psychology.

APRIL : A suitably dramatic cover by Lawrence shows a red-eyed

green face rising from a jug and pointing at YOU, like Uncle Sam on
the World War I recruiting poster.

"City of the Dead" by Augusta G-roner-is based upon 'the ever-in¬
triguing idea of a process which brings to'modern-eyes the scenes - -of-
the forgotten past, exactly as they occurred. Unfortunately, this time
the gimmick is so tangled up in espionage, mysterious strangers, snip-
board romances,- and general corn', that the story is not worth plowing
through. •

JUNE : Finlay do'es a bubble-bath in technicolor for this issue's

cover, illustrating "The Devil's Spoon". This is the cover painting
which achieved a certain immortality by selling.for seventy bucks at
the' Torcon. Wonder how much Finlay got for it in the first place?

Theodora du Bois' "The Devil's Spoon" proved rather baffling to
this reviewer. It concerns the demon Haroot who finds himself in the
body of a thoroughly repulsive character named Benjamin Bingham. From ;
that point on, the plot concerns'Haroot' s efforts to keep from reveal¬
ing his true identity, his futile attempts to keep his wife from lock¬
ing her bedroom door, interspersed with visits to Satan and encounters
with Noah and the Valkyries., whose position in the plot never did be¬
come clear to me. In general, the story gets off to a good start
then wallows around in trifles for several chapters until the author
can't think of any more fantasy to inject into it, after which she de¬
cides to resume her narrative. The fantasy element is not strictly
essential to the story at all.

Leslie A. Croutch's "Eemanu Grows Up" is one of those rare treats
— a story that turns out much better than it looks at •' first glance.
Starting off'as a stock variation on the theme of giving animals human
attributes (which has revolted me since Kipling's Jung le Book) , the
tale soon demonstrates that Croutch has more in mind than an attempt
to be whimsical. . > - - .

THE FANTASY ANNUAL

AUGUST: One of Lawrence's best covers illustrates John Taine's
it The Purple Sapphire 11 -- long-acknowledged as a classic in the fantasy
field. As in most of Taine's novels, the story concerns a lost civil¬
ization in the mountain valleys of Asia and the adventures of an ex¬
pedition which discovers it while rescuing a kidnapped girl.

The short story is "The Night Before the End of the World", by
Murray Leinster, an atomic war tale which provides a good contrast to
the way Astounding Science Fiction ' handles the same theme. In his de¬
piction of the struggle- of a scientist to keep atomic war from break¬
ing out, Leinster has compressed .a great theme — the eternal conflict
between the constructive and destructive impulses of man. The story
deserves to be long remembered)

. OCTOBER : The jungle-man on Lawrence’s cover this time is a dead
ringer for the guy who made Johnny Weismuller famous. The girl, on
other hand, reminds me..of Rosalind Russell..

If Tarzan influenced Lawrence, no wonder, for C. I. ,Stoneham|s
"The Lion's Way" parallels "Tarzan of the Apes" so closely that it
took several chapters to convince me that this wasn’t intended as a
parody. All of ERB's famous elements.are here: the white child who,
abandoned in the jungle, not only escapes sunburn, but. is adopted by
the animals who find him, and lives to become a somewhat musclebound
man with a taste for raw meat and the habit of shattering' the jungle
silence with triumphant roars after-liquidating the local livestock.
Ultimately, of course, comes the inevitable romance with a delicate
flower of civilization, the painful process of learning that civilized
•life is-not as simple as jungle living, and Nature Boy's decision to
return to his lions, convinced that dames is pizen.

Ray Bradbury's "The Women" is pretty fair, which is faint praise
indeed when applied to a Bradburyarn. This time Ray slipped by creat¬
ing his usual realistic characters and neglecting to provide anything
for them to do. Ten to one "The Women" bounced from Weird Tales. '

DECEMBER : I don't think much of Lawrence's cover, which contains
(a) a cowled skeleton, (b) crumbling skyscrapers, (c) four people be¬
ing clutched in bony finger.s, (d).a rather jaundiced arm. raised in
what the Boy Scount rnanuel informs me is an ancient Indian ' sign of
friendship. Oh yes, there is' also (e) a spider.

., J. J. Connington 1 s "Nordenholf s. Million» is a welcome change.
Once again it is England where' civilization crumbles, and the story
does a nice job of taking the collapse in stride, while keeping its
main interest focussed on the struggles of super-executive Nordenholt
to keep a chosen few alive to repopulate the ruins. The interest
would have been better sustained had not the author informed us at the
beginning that Nordenholt was successful. ‘

SUMM ARY: In rereading the foregoing, I note -that only two of the
six no'vels~f"The Peacemaker" and "The Purple Sapphire") received more
than faint praise. It seems, to me that the quality, of the material, in
a reprint magazine should be higher than in a mag presenting new work.
FFM is something like the girl in .the nursery rime:. When it is good it
is very very good, but when it is bad it is boring.

AMERICAN PROZINES

The "pure fantasy" magazine has never "been outstandingly success¬
ful, despite the golden haze with which memory tints Unknown , Worlds .
Of the current publications in the fantasy sector, Fantastic Novels
and FFM specialize in book-length material, Avon Fantasy Reader sticks
almost entirely to reprints, while Weird ' Tales excludes most every¬
thing not smacking of the ghoulish and eerie. This leaves Fantastic
Adventures as the sole vehicle for the type of fiction which Unknown
formerly printed, and if FA does not match Unk 1 s quality, perhaps it
is only because fantasy fans are not sufficiently concerned to barrage
Hamling with violent and continual demands for higher quality. per¬
sonally, I find the short stories in FA welcome for their freshness
and simplicity in writing. Occasionally, that is.

JANUARY: The cover is the type which the public has in mind when
it thinks of "lurid" pulps. • It has little artistic quality, but art¬
ists might pause to contemplate the manner in which Jones solves the
problem of picturing a nude without crossing the tenuous borderline
down which the censors leer. Among the stories: "Secret of the Ser¬
pent" by Don Wilcox, a fair yarn in which the hero is imprisoned in
the body of a snake; "The Fire Trail" by Oge-Make, the Navajo version
of atomigeddon; lEvensong" by John, and Dorothy de Courcy, an excellent
short which has a strong tinge of mysticism; and "Orders for Willie
Weston", by William‘P. McGivern, a very memorable story indeed.

FEBRUARY : The cover i*s certainly fantastic, if nothing else. It
accompanies Richard S. Shaver's "Slaves of the Worm" which is about
what you'd expect, "The Silver Medusa" by Alexander Blade, with one
of the best Finlay illustrations in years, concerns strange goings-on
at a country estate. Routine but readable. "Twice to Die" by Rog
Phillips: A case of spirit possession. Well told. Gordon Phillip
England's "They Buried Her Body" is interesting, with a plot that has¬
n't been worked to death.

MARCH: Nice cover. Hero in blue serge suit matches swords with
Mongol warrior while the femme flees. David V. Reed's "Court of Kub-
lai Khan".is a well written novel based on Coleridge's famous, lines.
"Make Yourself a Wish’" by St, Reynard: Bargain with a demon; well-
plotted. Another author with a co-operative typewriter appears in
Chester S. Geier's "Spirit of the Keys". Not a bad story — and with
a Finlay pic. Shaver's "The Thin Woman" is an example of what RSS can
do when he breaks away from his standard theme, "Zero A. D. " by Lee
Francis is practically pure stf, based on a fascinating concept: that
history and archaelogy are delusions based on "planted" evidence. An
excellent tale.

THE FANTASY ANNUAL

APRIL: Tiie gal with the long black hair is on the cover _ again,

this time in a purple sarong instead of her January seaweed, "Lair of
the Grimalkin" by G. H. Irwin concerns a fight.with the.fauna of Venus
for the sake of a beautiful girl. Need I go into'details? Hickey's
"The Ourse of Ra" is a real oldtime slambang yarn with Egyptian cur¬
ses and mysterious deaths and whatnot. Very enjoyable. Both Robert
Wade's "Coffin of Life and Death" and Lee Francis' "Flight into Fog"
are interplanetaries. Don't ask me. what they're doing in FA,

MAY : Two tried-and-true FA stand-bys — the caveman and the sup¬
er-civilized Atlantis — are combined in a fast-paced yarn by Lawrence
Chandler titled "Forgotten Worlds 1 '. Robert Moore Williams.' "The.Watch¬
ing Eyes": this time it's a nut who sees goat-eyes, watching him. As
usual the stupid doctors won't believe him. "You Bet Your Life" by
Elroy Arno has a nice concept regarding the manner in which Satan re¬
cruits candidates. The outstanding tale of the issue is Richard Gas -
ey's "My World Died Tonight", a tenderly written_story of a. child who
feels a kinship with a realm beyond the stars. Well worth reading,

JUNE : The lead novel, Jamieson Wood's "The Black. Arrow", might.be

a classic.- I wouldn't be sure, because it is pretty difficult, going
in places. I Gan't exactly describe the author's style, but it seems
to be an infinitely subtle mangling of sentence structure which makes
you' stop every couple of words, realizing you've lost the thread of
the idea. In connection with an extremely complicated plot, this makes
it quite a chore to finish the tale, which is part Indian adventure
and part collegiate social whirl. Kastel's "Ominous Bequest"; A mort¬
al visits the moon, etc. After a while the FA standard habit of por-
traying angels, devils, Biblical and mythological characters as just
reg'lar guys gets stale. A, Bertram Chandler's "The Tides of Time" is
of course a time-travel paradox thing.

JULY : The cover depicts a scantily-clad girl astride a black

■panther attempting to skewer a big green lizard.. Don't ask me.what a
green lizard is doing in a red-purple landscape. Nature 1 s principle'
of protective coloration must have slipped. "Queen of the Panther
World" by Livingston is the story. Travel through the dimensions help.,
the aliens win their wars. Richard S. Shaver's "Mirrors of the Queen"
is devoted to the hackneyed concept that stage magicians are REALLY
magicians. "Contract for a Body" by Webb-Marlowe (one.of the Adven¬
tures in Time and Space editors, isn't he?) is. a,' morbid, outlandish
tale of a guy who sells his body to a doctor.

AUGUST :' Another, caveman i s- brought' to the modern world in "The
Man from Yesterday" by Lee Francis, but this tale turns out to be very
well-plotted and without the usual contrived ending that mars so many
of these tales. It's worth reading. Russell E. Nihlean's "Tanya's
Night to Howl " is a short lesson in how to pick up a girl. Moral: take -
her home with you; no telling what kind of a joint. she lives.in, "To¬
morrow I Die" by Casey: sadistic tale of a*guy trying to avoid fate.

‘ . SEPTEMBER : "The Lavendar Vine of Death" by Don.Wilcox is blurbed
"Chilling tale of an alien, menace from, the void",-but as it turns out,
t.h<?-whole tale tskec op another planet, where alien menaces, are.-

AMERICAN FROZINES

no more remarkable than the weird social setups whioh authors invaria¬
bly distill for these other,world fantasy kingdoms. In this one-, peo¬
ple go around changing into animals, the lavendar vine crawls over the
countryside, and the usual king and prime minister are engaged .in a
struggle for power. In Hickey's "Hildy Rinds His ’Rings" an angel has
the usual troubles with Earth-style civilization. The characteriza¬
tion in "Reggie and the Vampire" by Gerald Vance is priceless. I got
severs,! laughs from it. Wacky.

OCTOBER : In Harold Sherman's "This Way to Heaven" an atomic sci¬
entist takes a psychic journey to heaven and hell, learning the’horri¬
ble consequences - of atomic war, and remorsefully trying, upon Ms re¬
turn, to persuade the United States to abandon its defenses and make
friends with Uncle Joe. Whimsical in a heavy-handed way is Arthur T.
Harris. 1 "Ernest' s-Evil Entity", in which Milquetoast suddenly talks
back to his wife. Someone sleeps in a radioactive well in Bernie Kaz¬
min's "The Well Wisher" (who's guilty of that title pun?) and acquires
x-ray vision.

NOVEMBER : ' Livingston leads off this issue with "Dimensions Un¬
limited" in which there is much fighting, involving the dictatorial
ruler of a kingdom in the other dimension.- Myers is still trying to
carry on in the Thorne Smith tradition; this time it's "The- Spirit of
Toffee". "The Happy Death of Algernon Applenod" by Gerald Vance is a
nice variation on the "so this is Heaven" theme, but the jerk that is
responsible for that title should be strangled.

DECEMBER : "Outlaws of Corpus" is the feature tale. A gallant
space patrolman fights to regain his unjustly tarnished reputation in
an extremely complicated social setup I didn't stop.to comprehend in
detail. Average. A worthy tale, minus caves and deroes, is the Sha-
ver-Geier collaboration, "Fountain of Change". RSS should do more in
this line. "Brainstorm" by Alexander Blade is based on the prefrontal-
lobotomy brain operation which has recently been publicized as an in¬
sanity cure. Hickey's "A Place Like Eden" concerns a scientist who
invents a dimension-viewer. It merits - reading. It also boasts two
fine Finlay pix. ' Either Hamling held these for several years, or Vir¬
gil has reverted to his old "crosshatching" style, for these are in
his best "classic" tradition.

SUMMARY : As the year progressed, the orbits of FA and. Amazing
drew closer and closer together, until the title strip on the cover
was the only way to tell them apart. Amazing began advertising itself
as "science’fantasy at its best" and FA shouted "Exciting Adventures ii
Science". This is fine for fans who like both stf and fantasy, but it
must be quite repulsive to the partisans who require either one or the
other. Besides, it is confusing. The quality of material In FA rose
during the. last quarter, possibly because fhey had been using up their
backlog during the previous months. The magazine shows more : signs of
life than it has had in many a ye&x, and if the trend continues it
might even gain a reputation as the best source of new fantasy avail¬
able. It is at least on a par with Weird Tales now. Some of FA's
material is surprisingly good, but, oh, the crud you must wade through
to. discover it.'

THE FANTASY ANNUAL

Like most other fantasy fans, I was overjoyed when-the revival of
Fantastic Novels .was announced early in 1948. I had never seen a copy
of the magazine, but from the endless remarks it earned in the letter
columns of FFM, it was already placed second only to Unknown Worlds on
my mental list of quality fantasy media. It is unfortunate, therefore,
that I am forced to report as of the end of 1948 that I buy F.N. main¬
ly to keep my files complete.

Yes, the stories are excellent fantasy; the format is dignified
and attractive; the illustrations are wonderful. But I * ve already got
Merritt 1 s novels. 1 Naturally, in a reprint magazine one is almost sure
to run across a familiar tale now and then, but when the pocket-edi¬
tion shelves are already loaded with Merritt 1 s work, surely Fantastic
Novels could find some other worthy fantasy to print.

MARCH: A. Merritt's "The Ship of Ishtar" is deservedly termed a
classic. His ornate style, annoying in some of his works, here con¬
tributes to the weaving of a spell of magic and-mysticism which takes
you out of this world into another which springs to life from the dust
of centuries. The attraction of this yarn lies in the way Merritt has
utilized all_ the varied tricks of the story-teller's art to create a
unified whole that will be read and re-read for generations.

Rounding out the issue is "The Middle Bedroom" by H. deVere-Stac-
poole, published, I presume, because F.NY's editor believes that every
fantasy tale published in England is wonderful. I am sure, however,
that the English fans suffered as much upon reading this as we did in
the United States.

MAY : This time it is A. Merritt's "The Moon Pool", which is
above the mine-run of fantasy, but is decidedly inferior to last is¬
sue's story.

Lawrence's cover illustrates the second tale of this issue: "Ja¬
son, Son of Jason" by j. U. Giesy, the third story of a trilogy, "Pal¬
os 1 of the Dog-Star Pack" and "The Mouthpiece of Zitu" being the pre¬
ceding tales. I have read neither, so I will take the editor's word
that "the third is undoubtedly the best of the trilogy". How, then, I
wonder, did the other two ever manage to see print? This tale is space
opera pure and simple. The hero puts his astral self on another
world and helps the poor oppressed inhabitants win their war, getting
himself a gal in the process. The "benefits" which the hero brings to
the grateful people of the other planet consist principally of more
effective ways to kill each other. There are several technical faults
in the tale, too: in one spot, for example, the hero's gallant com-

AMERlCfg PROZINES 99

rades win $ "battle- by blitzing tlie enemy with flamethrowers, firing
from hydrogen-filled balloons. In 1920 perhaps this seemed like a
courageous' act, but in 1948 it seems like plain damfoolishness.

JULY ; Garrett P. Serviss' "The Second Deluge" features this is¬
sue. This destruction-of-the-world epic wasn’t bad at all. Threaten¬
ed with what is apparently a spiral nebula of water, Earth is flooded
out of the lowlands and only a handful of humanity survives. The
scenes of catastrophe and des'olation are very competently handled, and
it is only when Serviss is manipulating his puppetlike characters that
the story sags from its high entertainment level. Worth reading,

"Finis" by Frank Lillie Pollack completes the issue. Based on a
curious concept of how the world will end,' this does a competent job
of finishing off the human race in 48 sadistic hours.

SEPTEMBER :- ' More Merritt — "The Conquest of the Moon Pool" this
time. Lawrence does a really beautiful girl on the cover, but louses
up the background with some frogmen straight from Planet, S tories,. This
long sequel to "The Moon Pool" leaves me with mixed feelings. It Is
excellent at first, but gradually develops into the type‘of thud-and-
blunder which any hack could turn -out. '

NOVEMBER: "The Terrible Three" by Tod Robbins is, I suspect, an

allegory, but I won't venture an opinion on what itus trying to say.
Incredibly dated, it Can be enjoyed only as a curiosity, a sample of
what 'passed for fantasy in 1917.

It is a relief to pass along to "The Mad Planet" by Murray Lein¬
ster. This was written in 1920, but you would never guess it from the
story itself. Briefly, Leinster has put the human race into the world
of insects and fungi which can be seen under.any microscope,, and has
focussed his attention on the struggles of his hero, Burl, to. master
this hostile environment. An unusual, well-done' story.

SUMMARY; With all the Munsey fantasies to select from,, if this
is the best Fantastic Novels can dredge up — judging from what, -this
magazine presented in 1948 -- it would seem that■(a) the quality of
Munsey "classics" has been grossly overrated, and (b) that it would be
better to buy some contemporary fantasy and let the sleeping hacks lie
peacefully in their forgotten graves.

As a treat for fantasy fans, From Unknown Worlds is wonderful; as
a test-balloon for possible revival of UW it is a sadly bungled job.

100

THE FANTASY ANNUAL

Blunder One: Street & Smith adorned their " Unknown Annual" with
one of the finest covers of the 1948 fantasy field — a full-color job
by Edd Cartier but they allowed Cartier to include a couple of
elves in his painting-. ' Cartier's style is faintly: Disneyesque. In
the mind of the American -public, Disney-type artwork signifies some¬
thing for the kiddies. Unless he happens to be in quest of a comic¬
book for his 8-year-cld son, the prospective n-ew reader of From Un¬
known Worlds automatically overlooks the Cartier cbVer.

Blunder Two: perhaps realizing that the cover won't attract new
readers, Campbell adds a blurb: "An Anthology of Modern Fantasy for
Grownups", Needless to say, "grownups" will repell as many readers as
"adults" would have attracted. "Fantasy" is also not the best choice
of ?/oids on a publication of this kind. Most non-fans would be attrac¬
ted more strongly by a different phrase: "unusual fiction", perhaps —
or even "supernatural stories".

Upon opening From Unknown Worlds , we find a much more satisfac¬
tory situation. The stories have been selected with care to appeal to
a wide variety of tastes, and to display the unique fantasy atmosphere
which no magazine save Unknown Worlds ever achieved.■

The lead novel, "The Enchanted Weekend" by John MacCormac, is
that delightfully wacky tale of an American historian, already in dif¬
ficulties with his English hosts because he does not share their in¬
terests, who unwittingly releases the ghost of Merlin the wizard and
is rewarded with the ability to win in any competition he enters.

Backing this yarn are the following stories: "Nothing in the
Rules" by L. Sprague de Camp; "The Cloak" by Robert Bloch; "Yesterday
Was Monday" by Theodore Sturgeon; "Trouble With Water" by H. L. Gold;
"Anything" by Philip St. John; "The Compleat Werewolf" by Anthony Bou¬
cher; "One Man's Harp" by Babette Rosamund; "The Devil We Know" by
Henry Kuttner; "The Psychomorph" by E. A. Grosser; "The Hexer" by H.W,
Guernsey; "The Summons" by Don Evans; and "Jesus Shoes" by Allan R.
Bosworth.

All in all, it is a fine selection of the type of story which the
old Unknown Worlds brought to its readers during its all - too - brief
lifetime. If it does nothing else, this anthology should show neo¬
phytes that the legend of UW's quality has a basis in fact.

Almost without exception, the stor-ies in Planet are idealistic in
theme. Virtue and evil are limned in stark contrast, motivations are

AMERICAN PROZJNES

101

usually uncomplex and easily divined, and in the action of the story
Good triumphs over Bad are everyone is ready to live happily ever af¬
ter. This sounds'corny, but it isn.'t. It is. the same formula .which
has served mankind well for untold-centuries. ■ . - '

Planet sets up the theme in farflung coiners of- the space-time
continuum, and produces-'yards which have that same ’timeless, fundamen¬
tal appeal to young people. The authors are- skilled — including at
times the most famous names in the pro fantasy field — so that the
output is not monotonous to anyone who likes it all. " ,

But unless you are a young person — young in a way that has no¬
thing to do with chronology — you don't like Pla.net . You have to have
the capacity to project yourself into the stories as. you read; you
have to have the conviction that opening the galaxy will he a glamor¬
ous adventure, not a frustrating, heartbreaking task; you have to be¬
lieve that the hero is always saved, however miraculously, and always
gets tae gal, too. You have to be irrationally optimistic about Homo
Sap's chances for racial survival. You Have to be either soft-headed
or soft-hearted or both, despite your cynical exterior.

Thank god, most of us are.'

:SPRING: "The Outcasts of Solar III" by Emmett McDowell is nicely
based on an Earth vdiere the government is modelled after a corporation
and is battling them for ruling power. The key to ' the situation , is
the new interstellar drive, and the hero is Homo Superior, relying on
his telepathic ability to detect spies. This is McDowell at his best
— better than he writes for aSF.

"Jonah of the Jove Run" by Ray Bradbury takes a theme which has
come dp before in stf — a prodigy who can predict- trajectories and
orbits instinctively. (Remember Rob McGee in 'Jill Stewart's Seetee
stories?) Bradbury's incomparable style makes- it a moving tale. Hen¬
ry Guth's "Planet in Reverse" must have been a doozie to , plot and
write. It's a two-seater version of "By His Bootstraps", but-with an
added twist. And I-do mean twist. Unfortunately, it is more appeal¬
ing as an idea than as a yarn. "Confusion Cargo" by Kenneth Putnam' is
an interesting problem yarn —the problem being a shipload of stuff
which breaks loose in transit and encases the steering mechanism in an
inpenetrable shell. It makes fascinating reading.

SUMMER : The issue boasts a cover such as made Planet famous. ■'A
gal in the remnants of what might-once have been a sun-suit is being
given an electronic goose in-a super-vacuum tube, while the hero sma¬
shes his way through-the red and purple BEMs in the'.background'. - He is
clad in a gold-plated ; girdle, and of course is more- than a match for
the rayguns and stuff of the .enemy. Truly an inspiring scene!

"Z-Day on Centauri" by Henry T. Simmons gives us the hero and
heroine fighting for the independence of Centaurus V', held in bondage
by the dictatorial Earth government. With some lively space-battles
before the actual fight on the planet, this yarn is fast-paced even in
a magazine'where action*is a prime component of every yarn.

THE FANTASY ANNUAL

10 2 ;

Ray Bradbury's "Pillar of Fire": This is the fabulous Bradbury's
all-time second best. (First is "...And the |Aoon. Be Still As Bright",
TWS, June 1948.) This would be an outstanding story in any- prozine
published today.- If you haven't read it, run, do not walk, to your
closest second-hand magazine dealer or buy The Other Side of the Moon .'
in which it is reprinted.

"Tile Third Little Green Man" by damon knight is a tale of the
first exploration of Venus. It's funny. So is knight's autobiographi¬
cal note which immediately follows. J, W. Pelkie's "In the Sphere of
Time" continues the "Toka" series which ran in one of the Ziff-Davis
magazines.

FALL.: This time it's a red-haired guy (not Redd Boggs) who's got
the heroine on the cover, while the hero dashes to the rescue.

"Citadel of the Green Death" by -Emmett McDowell. More fun on a
spaceship and later on Cehtrurus, as,the Centaurians revolt against
the government. Centaurus,.Planet/.version, is about as politically
unstable as a South American republic.

"Mars is Heaven" is another manifestation of Ray Bradbury's Mar¬
tian fixation. Again it concerns the first terrestrial ship to land
on Mars, and naturally, being good Bradbury, it is wonderful compared
with most other Martian-yarns. A. Bertram .Chandler is also in top
form this trip. "Preview of Peril" involves a mild version of the old
time-travel question — ; but from an angle I've never seen used'before.
"Against the Stone Bea.sts" by James Blish is an adventure-across- the-
dirnensions tale, mixed up with a bunch of fairies. • The winged, kind,

A diverting story. William Tenn's "Brooklyn Project" contains some
very unsubtle satire on governmental censorship of news, and a neat
little plot besides.

WINTER : Leigh Brackett returns this time and she,' like - Bradbury,
has a Martian fixation which finds expression once again in."The Beast
Jewel of Mars", a ya.rn that concerns a device which makes humans
evolve — or devolve.

The title of Alfred Coppel, Jr.'s "Jinx Ship to the Rescue" gives;
you an idea of what to expect, of course, there's a woman engineer
aboard to complicate matters. "Mutiny on Venus" . by A. Bertram Chand¬
ler is nice if you like sea stories. The. only reason it is set on.
Venus is that Planet is a science fiction magazine. "Asleep in Arma¬
geddon-"' by Bradbury is a nice sadistic Bradburyarn about an alien as¬
teroid, and probably the best item in-the issue.

"The Little-Monsters Come" by Ray Cummings reads like a fugitive
from the 1930's. An Earthman is kidnapped by aliens who are Lilli¬
putian. Maybe planet has been holding this yarn since before the war,
or maybe Cummings was cleaning out his desk recently and..,.

SUMMARY: Planet manages to be a lively magazine, on the average.
The main weakness which it - consistently displays is that of skipping
its science. By that I mean that .an author, with his hero in a tight

AMERICAN PR0ZINE8

103

spot, 'dreams up'a gadget which kills, off .the enemy. This, is usually
constructed by some alien race, and that is all the information about
its principle of. operation the reader, is ever told. If you recall aSF
of ten years ago or so, you remember. aSF used plenty of stories which
depended, upon the same- way out of a dilemma. Astounding outgrew- this
semi-fantasy corn. Planet might profit by its example.

At first glance,, the most striking feature of Startling's. year-is
its increase in size. The 180-page thickness of the final two issues
of 1948 makes the earlier ones appear puny in comparison. Less attrac¬
tive to the reader is the 100 jump in price between January and Decem¬
ber, particularly since it seems that.- the 180-page business was merely
.a temporary sugar-coating to accustom readers to shelling out 350 per
copy without.a lot of squawking.

There were other, improvements in format, during the year: whiter
paper, larger and more legible print, and , a streamlining of title-
style. , Startling is still no slick, but it's a better-looking pulp
than ever before.

JANUARY : 'Sergey does a colorful cover for ."The Blue Flamingo",
which avoids his usual Infernal Triangle, but retains his distinctive
Sharp-bine . style. The lead novel, by Hann.es Bok, is _ fantasy in the
manner only,.Bok or Kuttner can write it. A rather disreputable buncn
of’ characters, .find, a strange dimensional doorway in the Everglades and
have the. 1 usual .troubles with the inhabitant s of the Other Side, .There
is nothing particularly novel about the plot; its merit derives solely
from Bok's ability to weave the gossamer film of fantasy without over¬
doing things, ■ •

■ Oona and.Jick tangle with a calculating machine in Margaret St.
Glair's "Aleph Sub One", with somewhat amusing results, "Ultra.Evolu¬
tion" by Polton Gross is a clever gimmick tale in which a machine to
accelerate evolution enables one scientist to murder the' other in a
unique fashion; The Hall of Fame story this issue is Edmond Hamil¬
ton's "Conquest of Two Worlds", tracing the exploitation and extermin¬
ation' of .the. natives .of Mars and Jupiter. The .main thing wrong with
it is that it's more of a synopsis than a story,

'■ MARCH:.. Wesley: Long's "One of Three" is excellent stf with a twist
on the.dimensional travel theme. In this one, the Alamogordo atomic
bomb explosion creates three parallel time-tracks, and since only one
can survive, there is a sort of triangular cat-fight among the three
worlds. ..with: the hero coming from Earth One, the heroine from Eartn
Two, and the villain from Earth .Three, things get complicated indeed.
Long.manages to tangle his plot-threads into an appalling knot before
the. climax'arrives.

104

THE FANTASY ANNUAL

"Don't Look Now" by Henry Kuttner resembles tile stuff HanK turned
out ten years ago, except that lie's learned much about writing since
then. The story is strictly a guessing game, and Kuttner is just the
guy to keep you in doubt until the final paragraphs. ir And We Sailed
the Mighty Dark" by Frank Belknap Long begins like space-opera, gets
off on a tangent before the windup, and is slightly improbable. Only
corny note-is an illusion-projecting Mirage Pup, which went out of
style when Captain Future folded, I thought. In R. C. W. Ettihger's
"The Penultimate Trump" a millionaire puts himself in suspended anima¬
tion and iwakes up in a somewhat changed world.

"Mistake Inside" by James Blish proves to be Unknowni sh fantasy
of the wacky type, in which an unsuspecting mortal finds himself in a
confused land of astrologers, diviners, magicians, and other assorted
curiosities. Very entertaining.

MAY ; A not-so-good cover, with the people all tangled 'up in . the
lettering, illustrates the lead novel, "Mask of Circe" by Henry Kutt¬
ner, one of the most controversial of the yea.r's crop. This is HanK
\5fiting fantasy as he has seldom attempted in recent years — yet it
shows the characteristic Kuttner touch of science fiction here and
there. For this reason the story drew criticism from (a) science -fic-
tionists who hate fantasy, and (b) fantasy aficionados who hate stf.
Most everyone else liked it. The story might be called a "Ship, of
Ishtar" laid in mythological Greece, and although the ending fall’s a
bit flat, there is in it some of Kuttner 1 s best fantasy.

Surprisingly enough, in "The Simple Life" Ray Cummings has 'writ¬
ten a readable tale. A harried husband finds the ideal way. to get
away from it all. Nicely done. Robert Moore Williams' 1 "The -Seekers"
is a'well-done story of the encounter between Earthmen and ",Martians
which would decide whether they would be friendly or would fight. "No‘
Escape from Destiny" by Arthur Leo Zagat is a stf whodunit with a new.
idea, but Zaga/t writes in the stiff, puppet-like style of 1930, so
that his current output suffers by comparison with that of other auth¬
ors. With a little more care in characterization, this would have
been a memorable tale,. Fearn's "After the Atom" tells the old story
of a couple of guys who sleep several centuries in suspended animation
and waken to find that atomic wars have messed up the globe a bit. -

"Journey" by George 0, Smith. Guy goes to Alpha Centaurus and
comes ba,ck before he's scheduled to, so that no one will believe that
he made the full trip. So he has to prove it. The story is mostly an
excuse.for Smith to spin a theory. Interesting, but not' outstanding.

JULY ; Edmond Hamilton's "Valley of Creation" is the lead novel
and concerns a lost valley in the mountains, of Tibet, complete with' a.
girl-ruler for the hero to wind up with." plenty, of gut-sticking and
general chaos before that, of course.: One of Hamilton's recent best.

L. Ron Hubbard contributes "When Shadows Fall.,",,, which has a very
nice theme well-concealed under apparent space-opera. Subtle, but im¬
pressive stuff. "Realities, Unlimited" by Emmet't McDowell: A Martian
expedition finds the life there is quite alien, and iher-e is a lot of

AMERICAN PROZINES

105

frittering and. fuming before contact is established. The windup scene
is hilarious. Magnus Ridolph indulges in some space opera antics in
Jack Vance's "Hard Luck Diggings", which is~ forgettable, unless you
happen to like the Ridolph series. Like St. Clair's other departures
from the Oona-Jick pattern, "Q,ui Custodiet... ?" shows that she can
really turn out serious science fiction when she wants. A post-atomic
war tale, it has a powerful psychological theme.

SEPTEMBER : This time the lead story is Fredric Brown's fan - fas¬
cinating "What Mad Universe". A stfmag editor wakes up in another time
track where some screwy things have changed the world. His struggles
to keep alive amid unknown dangers, to find out what lies behind all
this, and to return to his own world, provide a fast-paced and never-
dull story.

"Rat Race" by Dorothy and John deCourcy (John comes first in the
Ziff-Davis magazines — does that mean Dorothy is the one who decreed
that they should crash Startling ?) is an alien invader story with an
interesting twist. "Sanatoris Short-cut" is another of Jack Vance's
Magnus Ridolph yarns, in which the principal item of interest is the
calm assumption that space-charts will be drawn to a Mercator projec¬
tion. P. S. Miller's "Tetrahedra of Space" is the Hall of Fame story.

NOVEMBER : Arthur C. Clarke's lead novel'easily rates a spot on
the ten-best-of-the-year list. Perhaps it is even the topper of 1948.
It starts with the story of a boy in Earth's last city, spirals swift¬
ly outward until it encompasses the planet, the solar system, the gal¬
axy, and eventually the entire cosmos. And yet the theme is never al¬
lowed to overshadow the characters themselves. Few authors could do
as excellent, a job of handling such a complex plot, and only one or
two could convey so well the sense of static timelessness which pre¬
vails in the ultimate culture of Earth. Like Campbell's "Twilight",
this novel "Against the Fall of Night" Could have been written only -as
science fiction — no other field would be suited to its mood.

A fantasy in the manner of those aSF ran a few years back, Frank
Belknap Long's "Humpty Dumpty Had A Great Fall" could hold its own
against "Mimsy Were the Borogoves" or others of its type. The idea is
wonderful, and it's competently written. Magnus Ridolph is back once
again in "The Unspeakable Mclnch" by Vance. ' Ridolph rides the space-
lanes — in a story full of BEMs. A dimensional doorway figures in
John D. MacDonald's "Ring Around the Redhead". "The Visitor" is good
Bradbury yarnspinning, with the characteristic allegory woven in.

"Dormant" by A. E. van Vogt reads more like a Sturgeon story to
me — not like van Vogt's usual style at all. But it's a humdinger,
all right,' containing among other things some acid satire of inter¬
departmental rivalry in the U. S. government. The twist at the end is
beautifully surprising.

SUMMARY ; The good thing about Startling is its• variety. There
is no "typical Startling plot"; no story brings the comment "only
Startling would print something like that]" Perhaps the worst feature
about the magazine is its Hall of Fame. As •several fans have suggest-

106

THE FANTASY ANNUAL

e£ in ."Tile Ethel Vibrates", the HoF feature should be included only
whenr a story of sufficient interest is found. And with the flood, of
writing talent active today, plus the number of reprint magazines
which,are currently: grave-robbing, the Hall of Fame might better be
.dropped altogether. .

Startling improved during 1948. It still has room to climb.

Gaining some 64 pages and at least 100$ in quality during the
.year, Thrilling Wonder Stories and its companion publication are. for
the first time in a position to challenge Astounding 1 s leadership in
..the-field. Currently, the most serious handicap for TWS is its absurd
title. The sooner this magazine follows aSF's example, the sooner it
can be regarded as having risen from its pulp-level beginning. It is
.hardto judge just how many potential readers of science fiction have
been lost to the field because they assume that an utterly asinine
title like 1 Thrilling Wonder Stories could contain only juvenile crud.
It's almost as bad a title as Famous Fantastic My steries .

FEBRUARY : This issue features an unusual cover for this modern
day. Giant insects were a stock gimmick of earlier times, but are
.seldom encountered nowadays. At any rate, the hero engages in desper¬
ate battle with a three-foot housefly, amid the ruins of a city, while
the heroine looks oh from a plastic bubble.

The first tale in this issue is Bryce Walton's "The Sleeper is a
Rebel". Deker, the hero, is one who rebels against the routine of
life in a utopian futurecity and is put into suspended animation with
several other Abnormals, in order that they may re-establish civiliza¬
tion after the current one has crumbled. Awakening to find the world
reverted to savagery and themselves regarded as gods, the Sleepers
have to battle an assorted bunch of strange monsters. Deker sleeps
again, wakes to find another utopian city like the one from which he
started, but this time a second solution to his problem is provided.

"The Shape of Things" by Ray Bradbury is outstanding, and utterly
different from the rest of his work.- If it doesn't show up in the next
stf anthology, something's fishy about the one who does the selecting.
"The Dobridust" is Margaret St. Clair at her wacky best, dealing with
a housecleaning machine that goes kaput'at the wrong moment. William

Fitzgerald's "The Seven Temporary Moons" continues the Bud Gregory

series about the hillbilly with the wild talents and the a-bomb menace.

The final two stori-es in the issue are also excellent. "Trans-
uranic" by Edmond Hamilton proves to be a.timely variation on the old

AMERICAN PROZINES ' 107

Frankenstein theme, adeptly done in the setting of a Lunar atomic ex¬
periment station. John Barrett 1 s . "The Long Way Back” is a surprise
package. It "begins like standard space opera — guy and gal marooned
on an inhospitable planet, discovery of an abandoned spaceship — and
from there goes into a spiral of sclent if ictiohal concepts that will
leave you"reeling. Fine stuff after the first few paragraphs.

APRIL : TWS began its growth this issue —adding 32 pages. Lead¬

ing off the expanded magazine is ..Arthur Leo Zagat's ""The Faceless Men”,
a good lively adventure in a scientist-ruled utopian world-state. The
hero, a young technician caught up in a complex plot to overthrow the
government, has himself quite a time finding out who is trying to do
what.

”Pile of Trouble” by Henry Kuttner continues the adventures of'
the unique Hpgben family. This time it's rainmaking and crooked poli¬
ticians that call forth some of the hillbillies' strange talents.

Among the othef stories: "Gentlemen, the ScavangersJ” by Carl
Jacobi:' battle to save the solar system, fought on an airless asteroid
in the traditional manner;' "The World of Wulkens” by Frank Belknap
Long, an excellent tale of a mysterious robot who manages ‘ to cause
considerable excitement before the windup — the only weak point being
why the critter should have been so dead set on kidnapping humans; "A
Dog's Life” by George 0. Smith, an entertaining and novel ' idea about
what home life of the future will' be like; and "Dud”, by Kenneth Put¬
nam, an especially neat story of a super-weapon and the problem of how
to defeat;' it.

JUNE. : . The lead novel is "The Trans-Galactic Twins”, by George 0.
Smith. Is'it worth reading? Well, I just' finished re-reading it from
beginning to end. I had intended just to skim through it' to refresh
my memory, got fascinated by Smith’s brilliant plot, and couldn't put
it down. To his usual electronics,, Geo smith has in this novel added a
vast amount of psychological science', so that , in places this reads
like: a van Vogt tale. Yes, it is worth reading.'

..Next, comes William F. Temple's "Way of Escape”, a dimensional-
travel' piece which approaches the subject from a novel angle. "Consul¬
ate” by William Tenn is.an incongruous mixture of corn and cosmic con¬
cepts-, altogether rather trivial and in spot s -reminiscent of a Tubby
yarn. Speaking of Tubby, the Old' Master of the Golden Atom decided to
shew that he can spin a gripping story, and has done so in "Ahead of
His Time”, one of Ray Cummings' best. "The Metal Lark” by St. Clair
gives Oona more trouble with the gadgets of tomorrow.

"...And the Moon Be Still As Bright” by Ray Bradbury is certainly
one of the top tales of 1948, and probably one of the top science fic¬
tion stories of all time. If Bradbury'had written' nothing but this
story, "...And the Moon Be Still As'.Bright" would, have assured him of
a place among the immortals of. fantasy.

AUGUST : "Mr. Zytztz Goes to Mars" by Noel Loomis leads off this

issue. An excellent meeting-of-alien-race story, it manages to be in¬
teresting even though most of its plot elements'have been used over

108

THE FANTASY ANNUAL

and over again in science fiction. It shows an unusual flair for de¬
picting the reactions of. non-human life forms.

"Memory” by Theodore Sturgeon is an above-average tale in the aSF
style, remarkable mainly because Sturgeon heroically restrains himself
from tossing the girl' into the guy's arms in the windup. It is a nice
application of a newly-discovered scientific phenomenon to the weaving
of a stf yarn. "The Earth Men" is a fair example of Bradbury's knack
for twisting his favorite theme —first Earthmen on Mars -- into a
salable, and highly readable, story. Characters with one-track minds
are by now almost a Bradbury trademark. "The Devil of East Lupton
Vermont" by William Fitzgerald uses an idea not. precisely world
shaking, but it's capably developed. Margaret St. Clair's "The Roto-
house" is another mildly amusing domestic saga.

"Climate — Incorporated" by Yfesley Long: Well, everyone knows
that Minnesota's climate is something that only a Minnesotan could
love, unlike the balmy winters and cool summers of Michigan. (Don,
you make Redd keep his blue pencil off this, will you.') ((NOTE: Last
time I was in Michigan — on my Torcon trip — it was around 100°.
Cool? R.B.)) Long dreams up an excellent gadget for making Minnesota
habitable, and weaves an interesting yarn around it.

OCTOBER : "The Moon That Vanished" showcases Leigh Brackett's

ability to capture that elusive air of fantasy which is so essential
to making these otherworldly yarns seem believable. This is success¬
ful in that respect and if you like Brackett's other work, you'll like
this one.

"I Like You, Too " by Joe Gibson is sort of an up-to-date. "Mar¬
tian Odyssey". Guy and gal on Mars and the strange life forms and
ancient ruins they discover. The story ends on a neat surprise twist.
"Yesterday's Doors" by Arthur J. Burks is an acceptable time-travel
variant, with philosophical asides, and William F. Temple's "Miracle
Town" is a rather wacky fantasy about a guy who could work miracles
and picks' a hick town to practice his art in. Very interesting. "The
Square Pegs", on the other hand, is another instance of Bradbury's be¬
coming so fascinated with the characters he has created that he forgot
to provide a story to use them in.

"The Cosmic Jackpo.t" is a typically zany Geosmith idea wrapped up
in the usual trappings which he unfailingly uses to bedeck his yarns.
Although leaning strongly on coincidence, the. story is fast-paced and
screwy enough to keep that from being a serious-weakness.

"Date Line", by Ben j. Miller: The first of the Orlg Prem series.
Lots of people seem to like these time-travel yarns about a future-
world reporter and his unruly robot, but they just miss fire with me.
With the unusual and well-integrated, background Miller has conceived,
it seems that he could make.-serious adventure yarns of thes.e time
trips. As humor, they are on the sophomore side,

"No Winter, No Summer" by Donald Laverty.. Here's -a time-travel
story with a difference, A 30th century man is taken to the ultimate'

AMERICAN PROZINES 109

future world — an .Earth so completely mechanized, that it is one vast
city. And without hesitation he decides the-fate of this utopia, and
carries out his plans, A casual-appearing yarn’, it packs a delayed
impact.

Among the other stories: "Softie" by Noel Loomis outshines his
story in the August TWS, and brings out Loomis' ability graphically to
depict galactic civilizations and spin interstellar space opera in the
grand manner. Interesting indeed. John S. Carroll's "Reverse English"
is a pleasantly amusing bit about a man who invents a machine to talk
to horses. As Sam Merwin revealed in the following issue, "Referent"
by Brett Sterling is really a Bradburyarn under a house-name. However
it is doubtful if even the magic Bradbury byline could salvage much
from this one. He's got a neat concept, but the story doesn't click,

DECEMBER : A nice Bergey cover fronts the magazine, well-splashed
with lettering, as usual. I counted 33 words besides the title itself.
Leading off the 180 page issue this time is Murray Leinster's "The
Ghost Planet", a rather routine earth-menace scampering, with the
young scientist coming off victorious and possessing the femme by the
end of the yarn. It. will do.

There are three novelettes featured in this issue, as well as
Leinster's "short -novel". £340,000 Miles Straight Up" by L. Ron Hub¬
bard is tied-rather closely to the current international situation and
is reasonably diverting, as well as slightly controversial. "Fruits
of the Agathon" by Charles L. Harness: A story_which demands careful
reading, and possibly several. re-readings,. if it is to be understood.
Harness is either over-complex, or over-subtle, giving the hasty read¬
er the impression that he doesn't make sense. George 0. Smith's "The
Mobius Trail" shows that GOS is still fascinated by teleportation. In
this yarn criminals try ta steal the gadget and things generally work
themselves to a high pitch, of excitement. Excellent.

No less- than three stories in this TWS concern child geniuses.
Noel Loomis f "Schizophrenic" is- a sort of a St. Clair future-domestic-
life story told from the viewpoint of a three-year-old. This very
young hero is.rather well presented, much better than in some of these
child prodigy tales, and the story is of interest, "A Child is Cry-
,ing» is John D. MacDonald's contribution. A gripping story, it tells
of a child genius who can foretell the future and of the efforts of
officials to turn him into a defensive weapon for the U.. S. The tale
ends on a rather pessimistic note. "Fuzzy Head" by Frank Belknap Long
tells about a child who wasn't what his parents thought. A readable,
but not outstanding story.

The other stories are "Knock" by Fredric Brown, the surprise tale
of the issue — one of those timeless things which will fit well into
a hardcover anthology; "A Horse on Me", another Orig Prem story by
Benj. Miller, in which Orig and his master clown around with cavemen;
and.."The Off Season" by Ray. Bradbury. For the nth time Bradbury has
overstrains his capabilities. What louses up this story is the im¬
probability that anyone — even a Bradbury character — would build a
hotdog stand in the middle of the Martian desert. Maybe _I»m just
dense and didn't understand it. At any rate, I didn't like it.

110

THE FANTASY ANNUAL

SUMMARY : Thrilling Wonder Stories showed gradual but continuous
improvement throughout 1948,' the culmination of a trend that began
sometime in the previous year. Because of its increase insize, It is
to be expected that an occasional inferior-quality story will be used
merely to fill in. However, hack-stuff is startlingly infrequent.

JcD : J(r‘G

Weird Tales 1 outstanding improvement of 1948 wasin cover art.
Ever since the war years, this publication had appeared in some of the
most god-awful guises I ever saw. Perhaps they were considered appro¬
priate to the type of story WT favors, but the covers of the past year
base their appeal on a less tenuous claim.

JANUARY ; "Serpent Princess" by Edmond Hamilton is up to that
veteran scribe's usual high standard, and a cut above the usual Yun of
WT neo-Lovecraft stuff. Theodore Sturgeon's "The Deadly Ratio" is
even better. This tale, I confidently predict',. will appear in many an
anthology of the coming decade. It is worthy of the late lamented
Unknown Worlds . Among the other yarns, "And G-ive Us Yesterday" is
much to my liking. Based upon the problem of whether or not the war
dead should be-brought home, this story of Seabury Quinn's handles the
idea capably and-'effectively, '

■ MARCH: This is the 35th anniversary issue, of Weird Tales , a not¬
able event in the fantasy field, where pro magazine's lives are all
too often reckoned in months. Miss Mcllwraith has assembled an im¬
pressive lineup for the occasion, a full dozen authors whose work is
known and appreciated by every fan. All in all, an excellent issue.
Among the better stories.in this WT are "The Leonardo Rodache" by Man¬
ly Wade Wellman, in which John Thunstone exorcises a few more evil
spirits — an episode soundly based on what I presume is authentic
knowledge of Renaissance art; "The Coming of M. Alkerhaus", by Allison
V. Harding, which believe it or not is an atomigeddon tale, and com¬
petently done; "The LaPrello Papers" by Carl Jacobi (with a fascinat¬
ing pic by John Griunta) , one of those infinities - within - infinities
things that leave you chewing your cuticle; "The October G-ame" by Ray
Bradbury — ana next to "Homecoming", Bradbury at his horrible best;
"Catnip" by Robert Bloch, which reads like Bob parodying Bradbury, and
doing an entertaining job of it; and "The Professor's Teddy Bear" by
Theodore Sturgeon, one of Ted's best flings at the psycho-horror tale,
and a credit to its author.

MAY ; "City of Lost People" by Harding begins this issue — a
rather eerie psychological tale of a gentleman who finds at times that
every other human has vanished] C. Hall Thompson's "Clay" is a creepy
interlude woven around the patient-in-the-looney-bin-who-maybe- isn't-
nuts-after-all theme, and "The G-rotto of Cheer" by Stanton A. Coblentz.
is based on a plot you've read hundreds of times before: a guest finds

AMERICAN'PRO ZINES

111

that he’s been staying in a non-existent house with a ghost host, "No.
Silehce fox Maloeween" by Peter-Phillips is a fine yarn with 1 a slant
that keeps you in suspense. "The-Black Ferris" is not up to Brad¬
bury 1 s usual standard.

JULY ; Two favorite authors return to favorite scenes or themes
in this issue. ' Edmond Hamilton contributes "Twilight.of the Gods", a
thud-and-blunder yarn taking place among the creatures of Teutonic
mythology, and reminiscent of several of his other, stories. "Abreac¬
tion" by Sturgeon is a bit obscure but Sturgeon , writing of bulldozers,
is always fine. (Remember "Ki.lldozer"?) Among, the other stories this
time around are Stephen Grendon's "Tsanta in the Parlor", which will
bore those who have read the infinitely superior "Screaming. Skull" but
might entertain others; "Dhoh" by Wellman, which is told with refresh¬
ing brevity and is .a good yarn to add to. a campfire repetoir.e; and
"The Undead Die" by E.. E. Evans, which is a welcome variant on the old
vampire theme.

SEPTEMBER : "Fever Dream" by Ray Bradbury is a beautifully subtle

piece that will hand in your memory gallery for long after you read
it. ■ Defaced by one of Lee-Brown, Coye's cartoons, the story still .man¬
ages to inject an aura of clammy horror all too rare in contemporary
weird fiction. Dorothy Quick’s ."The Cracks of Time"; ' a better than
average story, enhanced.by a fine heading by Dolgov. "The Hidden. Tal¬
ent of Artist-Bates" by Snowden T. Herrick is an example of what can*
be -done in the way of finding fresh approaches to the horror story, it
cdhcerns an artist who could erase things. Peter ; Phillips 1 "Deaths
Bouquet" should cure you of any liking for imported wine, which is
quite an achievement for a short story.

-. NOVEMBER:. Cover by John Giunta is really excellent — or would
be if it -wasn't loused up with printing. Why do pulps have ,to . put
their tables of contents .all over-their front covers?. Sturgeon's "The
Perfect Host" is one of the best horror tales I’ve read in several
years. Sturgeon slides into the plot from • half a dozen angles,' and
drives you half nuts wondering if there is any sense to the story.—
then everything falls into place and winds up neatly. The construction
of this tale is worth hours of. study by all would-be authors. "Tryst
Beyond the Years" by Malcolm Murchie capably puts across the atmo-..
sphere of a bygone day. The style is- a cut above pulp quality,

SUMMARY ; Weird Tales meanders, along in its own . serene course,
ignoring the changing styles which keep-the rest of the field in a.;
frenzy. : WT has a timeless aura, which I've also noted in Astonishing .
and a few other defunct stf magazines. It's hard to explain, but you
can’anticipate that the issue of July 1968, if it appeared on the;news¬
stands tomorrow by some fluke of a.timewarp,.would probably be' read
halfway through before anyone noticed the mistake. With such capable
writers as Bradbury, Hamilton, Sturgeon, and. Eric Frank Russell, WT r s
level of quality is higher than it was a few'years ago, .but no one, ^1
will wager, ever drools with eager anticipation waiting for the publi¬
cation date to roll around. There-is nothing outstandingly lousy about
Weird Ta,les — with the possible exception of some of its artwork —
but-there is also nothing outstanding. Let's leave it at that.

, HO REIGN PROZINES. m ' w aokemam

'Fans'on "both''sides of the Atlantic waited all year fox a'new' Mew ’
Worlds but none materialized. The British Reprint Editions of As¬
tounding Science Fiction appeared, in their abbreviated form of 64 pa¬
ges, at bimonthly intervals. With the August issue, 5/8” was-added to
the magazine’s height (and a; pence to ..its price), bringing it up'to a-
bout 6-f”' across by 9-g-” tall, for the equivalent of 20d. Serial in¬
stalments, articles, editorials and readers' comments were all omitted,
About the same ■ story on the BRE o.f Unknown Worlds .

During the year the Dec. '42 issue.of Future Fiction was reprint¬
ed (in part) in England. About the same size as the original . issue,
but with two stories and the features sacrificed, reducing mag to 36
pages for 9d. Chapter titles thruout each tale, non-existent in the
American edition, were added. All illustrations Were redrawn from the
originals, and emerged as corny copies that shouldn't happen to a fan-
mag.

Nothing special occurred in Canada. Some issues of Planet, Weird
Tales , TWS and Startling had Canadian editions but they differed in no
collection-worthy respect -from the American. A fantasy reprint publi¬
cation, Bizarre , was put together, but it remained undistributed. The
successful reception bf several public domain fantasies published in „
magazine form led a Canadian publisher to solicit mss. ,for two. period¬
icals to be known as Supernatural Stories and Amazing Adventures, but
neither materialized in 1948.

T.he real bombshell of the year came from South of the Border. On
the 1st of July there appeared, from down Mexico way, an astonishing
magazine; Lo_s Cuentos Fantastioos ( Fantastic Tales ). The first issue,
priced at 60 centavos (about 15 .cents) , contained 50 trimmed-edged pa-,
ges of stories translated into Spanish from American, sources. Cover
was a reprint, eliminating printing,'of Finlay's Dec. 1946 FFM cover'
for ”Unthinkable >>. Contents were a curious combination, of quality and
crap, culled from the US' poorest periodicals and a couple of the" bet¬
tor ones. A strange selection for translation was "Bumerang" by Geo.
Whitley, a dialect yarn originally told in Australian as murky as the
interior of a kangaroo's pouch. Six stories in the" issue, best of
which-was "El Cohete" ("Rocket Summer") by Sefior Ramon Bradbury. Hub¬
bard and Leinster sparked the'second issue, which ap£>eared"15 days la¬
ter, with "Cuando Caen Las Sombras" ("When Shadows Fall") ■ and "Nave
Del Espacio" ("Space Ship"). Kuttner's Hall of Fame reprint 'from
Startling was featured in the third number; "Cuando La Tierra Vivio".
Bradbury reappeared in the 4th issue with his fever fantasy from a '48'
WT; price, incidentally, was raised to 90 centavos. The cover of #5
featured the Finlay for "The Devil's Spoon", the origina.1 for which
#70 was paid at the Torcon. On the Mexican reprint of the cover, the'.,
printing was painted out and the devil's horns altered.

I puzzled a long time over the title of a tale in the 6th number,
of LCF: "Muerte de un M. de 0, de I." by Erkeley (sic) Livingston.
You too? It developed it was the abbreviation for Monstruoe do Qjqs
de Insecto, our dearly (?) beloved old amigo the Bug-eyed Monster?' An

- 112 -

, FOREIGN PROZINES . r _ , .. . . , H3

old Wells short, ‘"The' QtoTieii Bapillus", turned up in #7; Brad- in the
same issue with "The Earth Men”. 'B'ritish Bill Temple’s "Way of Es¬
cape" was picked up from Wonder or Startling for the 8th issue, along
with a tale from WT, and Robert. Chambers' "El Signo Amarillo" ("The
‘Yellow Sign") and Robert Howard" s "Las Espejos deTuzan Thune" from A-
von Fantasy Reader. With "the 9th number, featuring Lawrence' "Con-
• quest of the Moon Pool" cover, 1.6 pages were added: almost all fiction
in this issue from Wonder andor Startling , Wm. Tenn's "El Aspecto Hu-
mano" from FFM. ’ . :•

' In the last issue.of 1948 of Los. Ouentos Fantasticos , coming e-
vents cast their shadows. For the-firstime original illustrations (3
fillers by fan artist Bill Rotsler) appeared, blank spapesat ends of
Tories were filled with special cuts of fannish interest, and fans of
several years' activity recognized the illustration for Henry . Kutt-
rer's "Lector, Te Odio" ("Reader, I Hate You"; but literally, "Reader,
Thou Stinkest.'") as an Anniversary cover by Beaumont from Vo m l Editor
has told me privately that he intends to inaugurate a readers' column,
and wishes to create a scientifiction fandom in Me'xico.

And the end is not yet on the Spanish scene.' During 1948 there
were 7 nos. (#68 thru #74) of Narraoiones Terror!fleas , printed in Ar¬
gentina. The June issue had 80 pages at fl (Argentina.currency) size
6 3/4" x 9 3/8". Original cover; and, I think, original interiors,
for public domain stories by Bierce, Henry James, 0. Henry, de Balzac,
de Maupassant and others. ' This publication generally consists of pir¬
ated translations from Weird Tales and, old issues of Dime Myste r y. ,
Terror Tales, etc. OOcasionally, it has an original story.

And: From Spain itself: Fantastica l I am not positive this was

published in 1948, but it was'purchased in Mexico late in 1948, and is
as'far as'I know the firstime it has come to the attention of fandom .
Sixty-four pages size 64'! x 8 - 4 " for 3 pesetas, however much that
nay be. All stories (7 of 'em) in the issue to hand seem to be origi¬
nals by one Manuel Vallve'. Titles which I (think I) can translate^are
"The Abyss", "The 'CafaVan of Death"' (possibly "—the Dead"), and . The
Elixer of Youth".' Cover looks to me like a still from the Karloffilm,
"The Mummy", colored.. This is the second issue, and the first fea¬
tured "The Monster of Sarrebruck".

THE. SEMI-PROS

THE ARKHAM SAMPLER

Fantasy readers,, writers and collectors of that articulate -spec
ies called 'fantasy fandom have often concerned themselves with the
publishing of amateur periodicals, a factor which has done more Than
any other in thS welding together of the critical and productive fac¬
tion's. But., though fantasy fandom has produced many such magazines,
they have been dogmatic in the main, too often engaged with insignifi¬
cant and petty themes, and of a general nature not tending to ofier

114

THE FANTASY ANNUAL

anything constructive or of interest to those not immediately of the
"inner circle". They have attained small circulations} few aspired to
he anything hut what they were, a lot of fun for producers and readers
alike.

One and all, however, these productions share this in' common:
they are amateur endeavors, created for and hy the lovers of imagina¬
tive fiction, an ephemera of the time and situation. The majority of
fandom's journals are fly-by-nights in poor clothes, when compared
with the journals of other literate fields. It seems apparent to one
who has read many, and written for several, that the best material has
been attracted hy those magazines having the best appearances, the
most definite policies, slanted toward a mature audience.

This is hy no means the sum of the background, but it is a point¬
ing out of several inherent faults with our own fantasy journals. The
fantasy fanzine has about reached its zenith, and may go no farther.
The normal solution would be the establishment of a professional jour¬
nal which would take over some of. the policies and functions-of a fan¬
zine. Until the winter of 1947-48 there seemed little help in this
direction. Then was published Volume I, Number 1 of The Arkham Samp ¬
ler , a quarterly magazine published by Arkham House and edited by Aug¬
ust Derleth, one of fantasy's acknowledged advocates.

According to the first issue, the. Sampler "slanted toward the
reader who is seriously interested in all imaginative writing as a
literary form rather than toward proponents of one kind of fantasy as
against another." In brief, the Sampler was a much needed fantasy
journal, grown up aborning, and already denying interest in one of
fandom's most ludicrous diversions.

■ The format August Derleth chose for his magazine was dignified to
the point of comparing favorably with any of the better known literary
periodicals. I should mention here that the artist of the cover de¬
sign which was a permanent feature of the first four issues, was Ron¬
ald Clyne, a former Chicago fan and now book-jacket and magazine art¬
ist of no small ability. There were 100 pages to the.issue, of good
'quality paper, and printed in large readable type.

Apparently Derleth was feeling his way with the first several is¬
sues. In fiction the first number contained, besides two supernatural
stories, of. average quality, the beginning of H. P. Lovecraft's "Dream
Quest of Unknown Kadath", in a four-part serial form. Previously pub¬
lished only in Beyond the Wall of Sleep (Arkham House, 1943), this no¬
vel is similar in style of narration to some of Lord Dunsany's earlier
work, end readers found the story revolving around a quite tenuous
plot structure, that of the hero's dream search for the cold wastes of
Kadath, where the gods dwell. The story has a charming quaintness,
broken at intervals by drollish incidents, and .exhibits an uneven¬
ness attributable to the fact that this tale was never written beyond
a first draft.

Other than the above mentioned, the first issue of the Sampler
had several poems by Clark Ashton Smith and Leah Bodine Drake, offset

415

THE SEMI-PROS'

by several articles and features,'.'including the first printing of Der-
leth's introduction to Strang e . Ports of; ; Call and; a /' som-ewhat contro¬
versial section of book.reviews’^ r " r ’.'' ; :

The second issue was little different from the first, Again the
magazine was dominated by the ghost of H.P.L. Contents and quality of
fiction remained on a par with the previous issue’s efforts — good,
certainly, but not above average. The book reviews were entertaining,
with one particular science fiction author coming in for. a share of
hard knocks, with the misfortune' bf . having two books reviewed at the
same time.

A critioal analysis of M. P. Shiel’s work by- A. Reynolds Morse
was the high point of the third issue, Summer 1948..It Is this review¬
er's opinion that more such articles would aid in.widening the Inter¬
est in the- Sampler among all groups of fantasy lovers. The previous
issues,' as has been stated, inclined too .much - toward the Lovecraft
cult, to interest everyone completely.

The final issue of the year saw Robert Bloch contributing what
would have been on exceptional piece of fantasy had not he passed up
the chance for an effective denouement .for the sake of a too apt title
— "A Change of Heart”. There was also a Lord Dunsany short, new to
this country, called "The Sign”, and Mrs. Riddell, another noted weird
tale author, was represented with a short novelette from her. recent
British collection. And thus fantasy's quality journal completed its
first volume.

— PHILIP GRAY.

' FANTASY BOOK • -

Entering its second year during 1948, Fantasy Book continued to
metamorphose with each issue, changing with #3 from the original let-
. tersize magazine of 44 pages to half the size and 66 pages. It con¬
tinued to appear irregularly, being numbered rather than-dated in the
commercial publication'manner. Dub to lack of professional handling
it appeared to be more of a super fanzine rather than a promag.

The second issue (the first came out in the autumn of 1947) ap¬
peared after much delay, with two different covers —one by 'Crozetti
going to the subscription or "book paper” edition and one by : Hunt
fronting the pulp-pa.per newsstand edition. , The issue featured a ten-
page story by A. E. van Vogt titled "The Ship.of Darkness". This sto¬
ry's chief claim to fame was that it had no dialog. There was also a
novelette by Basil. Wells called "Caverns of Ith", a hoi low-wo rid-yarn;
the first instalment of a* three-part serial, "The Machine God Laughs”
by Festus Pragnell; three short stories, book reviews, and a reader's
page. "

Number three, in the same, size, had. a two-color cover by Crozetti.
Also the publishers used seven different' kinds of type in the body of
the magazine, which caused one fan to' remark' that Fantasy Book' #3 ve^
sembled: a printer's catalog. Van Vogt again Ted* off the content's page,
this time with "The GYbat Judge". ; This was a different-'van Vogt from
the one we usually see: the style was different, and not at all un-

116

THE FANTASY ANNUAL

pleasing. In addition there were .such fantasy and stf tales as "Gifts
of Asti" by Andrew North, a fantasy adventure of a faroff world; a
short fantasy by E. E. Evans, "Blurb", which was good for a laugh or
two; another instalment of "The Machine God Laughs"; and two other
shorts, plus "Songs of the Spaceways" — a group of poems, all with
sad overtones.

Number four (book paper edition) had a dust jacket over a stiff
paper cover. The cover illustration was by Neil Austin, the rest of
the outside end inside of the d/j being filled with FPCI's ads. The
contents, though having only two pictures, were much neater than for¬
merly. Fantasy Book ended one serial ("The Machine God Laughs") and
started a new one by John Taine, "The Black Goldfish", a tale bound to
raise the whole magazine a notch or two'. Also L. A. Eshbach (of Fan¬
tasy Press) had a short novelette of mysterious adventure in South Am¬
erica titled "Out of the Sun". Forrest J Ackerman was present with a
short time travel tale, "Dwellers in the Dust", and Basil Wells and
Gene Ellerman added two short fantasies. The issue was rounded out. by
stf poems and book reviews, but the letter department was dropped.

— RIOK SNEARY. .

SELECT .science fiction

Select Science Fiction saw only one issue, at least during 1948.
This was no blotch on fandom’s collective mail slot for, although the
idea seems to have had something more than inspiration behind it,
there was a lack of success. The issue came out in a one-color process
cover, with sloppily mimeographed contents. This alone was enough to
condemn the ill-fated hopeful.

Of the four short stories (one of which was daringly announced as
the first of four (?) instalments of a. serial), the first one is en¬
titled "Bright Promise", written by an author unknown to this review¬
er: Jennifer Grey. A rather nice little story, it is handled compet¬
ently. The plot is of the man-who-finds-utopia-but-should’ve - stayed-
in-Hoboken variety. There are the usual Things to Come characteristics,

Our "serial instalment", "Indeterminate Factor", by Martin Strong
— also an unheard-of — starts out very -nicely. We have here the
proposed new super-efficient spacecraft engine designed by the inevit¬
able precise mathematician. We are eventually thrown with the crew of
the experimental ship into a new Earth — after getting tossed around
by the hyperdrive thing. The new Earth is very confusing, but it
would seem that we have exceeded the speed of light and reversed our
temporal direction, for the smug and eager mathematician is gobbled up
by a tyrannosaUr. We are told to wait until "next instalment" to see
if the Rex got indigestion.

"Barbaric Sea" by F. Julian Laumer (?) is one of those yarns that
sound like one of the Pellucidar series. The primitive two-valued un¬
cultured heathen ignorant dirty little savage runs across a big-heart¬
ed joe from Mu, with his gang of strong-arm men. The primitive two-
valued etc. makes good with the gang, 'and is elected to take them to

PRO2INE.STORIES

117

his tribe of fellow primitive two-valued, et ceteras. They get a ppQ:r
reception, however, and the Muiaras take our. hero back to Mu, where he
is confounded with their terrific supercolossal concepts. After four
year's of reorientation, the kid is sent back to the island whence he
came, to spread the good word to his fellow cannibals. Upon his de¬
parture we are awe-stricken as Mu slides thunderously into the sea —
thereby solving something for Shaver. Our little missionary* is left
to his fate, at the mercy of the primitives, after losing all the mat¬
erial things he took back with him, A sob story, I liked it .be$.t,
since it subjectively frustrated me the most. . . ,. _

Our own Arthur H. Rapp with the "amateur" standing pops up with
"Resultant Vector", a'technical yarn that has an aSF.ish atmosphere.
We think r-tRapp had better start heckling John Campbell.

As has been said, SSF was a good idea, but it fell flat. Many
projects.have been unsuccessful because of lack of judgment and fore¬
sight. Perhaps the lapse of a few months between conception and birth
of such an undertaking is a little wiser.-

— CON PEDERSON.

# * # .# ft ■» * 4* # 4* 4* 4V 4fr 4* 4t Vt # * # 4f- H 4* ■»

TOP PROZINE. STORIES

1 .

"...And Searching Mind" (Williamson)

aSF

(9).

, 609

The Players of .Null-A (van Vogt)

aSF

605

In Hiding "(Shiras)

aSF

396

Dreadful. Sanctuary (Russell)

aSF

(3)

392

What Mad Universe (F. Brown)

(3)

275

The Blue Flamingo (Bok).

(3)

198

Against the Fall of Night (Clarke)

' SS

1.69

Pillar of Fire (Bradbury)

(2)

: 160

The. Enchanted Weekend (MacCormac)

From UW

(2)

159

10.

.The..Monster (van Vogt)

aSF

156

.11.

' Tiie Purple Sapphire .(Taine)

FFM

(l) ' .

146

12.

The .Brain (Blade)

Amz

. . 131

13.

The October Game (Bradbury)

127

Now:.You See It... (Asimov)

aSF

127

15.

The Complqat Werewolf (Boucher)

From UW

125

16.

Genius (Anderson)

. aSF

123

17.

"And the Moon Be Still As Bright"

(3)

(Bradbury)

TWS

117

18.

The Second Deluge (Slerviss)

FN • /.

108

19.

Shambleau (C. L. Moore)

AFR

20.

The Mask of Circe (kuttner)

21.

The Peacemaker (Forester)

FFM

22.

Police Operation (Piper)

aSF

23.

The Moon That Vanished (Brackett).;,

TWS

.72

24.

Ex Mac hina (Padgett ) ; • •:.•

aSF

' .67

25.,

That Only A Mother (Merril)-

aSF

PROZINE CHECKLIST, 1948. . n.

AMAZING STORIES *

FANTASY BOOK.',

V. 22 N,. 1 — Jan . ..

7---'-July T

■ 7. 1 N. 3 —

2. — Feb '

8 — : Aug '■

3 — .Mar ‘ ■

g- _4. Sep --

• 3 —

4 — Apr

. . .10— Set

- -4.—

-r.5 — May

■ 11-— No-V ’

■fi ---June.

12 — ; De r c

FROM UNKNOWN

May .
June
Dec

(collector., edn)
(newsstand edn)
(both edns)
(both 'edns.).

ARKHAM SAMPLER
V. 1 N. 1 — Win. 1948
2 — Spr.. . ,
3—. Sum.

4. -.—Autumn

V. 40 N. 5 — Jan. •

5 — July

S — Feb. ■■

6. — Aug

V. 41 N. 1 — Mar **

1 (V.42)Sep

3 — Apr

2 — Oct

5 —.May.

3 — Nov

4 — June

4 — Dec

ASTOUNDING SCIENCE FICTION (Eng.)

V. 6 N. 3 — Feb

5 — Aug

3 — Apr

Q — Oct

4 — June

7 — Dec

AVON FANTASY READER

Number 5 — undated i

(Mar)

6 — undated, i

May)

7 — undated i

(Sep)

8 — undated..!

(Dec)

FAMOUS FANTASTIC MYSTERIES

V. 9 N. 3- — Feb

4 — Apr

5 — June

& Aug

V. 10 N. 1 — Oct

2 — Dec

FANTASTIC ADVENTURES

V. 10 N. 1 — Jan

7 — July.

2 -- Feb ;

8 — Aug

3 — Mar ;

9 — Sep

4 — Apr

. 10 — Oct

5 ‘— May

11 — Nov

6 — June . "

12 — Dec

; Fantastic novels

V. IN. 6 — Mar
,'V. 2 N. 1 — May
2 — July

3 — Sap,

4 — Nov

FUTURE FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICT'N
(England) '-.Undated' (#11).

■■LOS OUENTOS ^ANTASTICOS (Mexico)

N. 1 —. 1st af July
2 — ,15th of July
3— 31st !o.f July .

.4,— 2d fo.xtnit-e of Aug

5 — 1st fortnite of Sep

6 — 2d fortnite of Sep

7 — 1st fortnite of Oct

8 — 2d fortnite of Oct

9 — 30th of Nov
10 — Dec (assumed)

PLANET STORIES ***

V. 3 N. 10 — Spx. (Dec-Feb 47-4$

11 — Sum.

12 — Fall
4 N„ 1 — Win,

startling stories *** !

. V. 16 N. 3 — Jan 3 — 'July. /

17 N. 1 — Mar 1 (V. 18) .Sep

3 — Tia.y. 3 1 — Nov ,

THRILLING WONDER' STORIES ***

V. 31 N. 3, — Feb .3 — Aug.--.

32 N. 1 — Apr 1 (V.33).Oct

2 — June 2 — Dec

• UNKNOWN WORLDS (England)'!? ’ ■

. V. 3 N. 13 — Spr.- ' ;« .

'4 N. 1 — Sum.

:,T V ’ . ... ■ 2 -- -Win.

WEIRD 'TALES'***

V. 40 N. 3 — Jan 5 —. July.

3 — Mar 6 — Sep ■

' 4- — May. 1 (V.- : 41).Nov

* - Plus Quarterly rebinds. . .

** Misnumbered "Vol. 50V,

*** - Also Canadian printings.

TOP PRO AUTHORS

1. A. E .VAN VOGT

(13) 437

A. E.( van Vogt is definitely not passe as a writer. Rising from
#3 on last year' s. Dreamland poll to #1 on this year' s, he sold "The
Players of -Null-A" — which was voted the second top story of 1948 —

"The Monster", and "The Rull" to aSF, and began to appear in the Stan¬
dard twins. His 1945 aSF serial, "The World of Null-A", was hardcov-
ered by Simon & Schuster; a collection of his (and E. Mayne Hull's)
Unknown fantasies was published by FPCI, and at least one story of his
was still a necessary ingredient to any science fiction anthology.
Complexity of plotting in the van Vogt manner has definitely won a
place for itself in the hearts of science fiction addicts.

3. RAY BRADBURY

(13) 373

An extremely Capable and popular writer of both weird and stf,
Ray Bradbury appeared in nearly every fantasy magazine but aSF during
1948. To Weird Tales , scene of his first triumphs, he contributed
"•Fever Dream", "The October Game" and other beautifully done weirds;

• to TWS and startling he sold such quality stf tales as "And the Moon
Be Still As Bright", "The Earth Men", "The Visitor", "The Shape of '
■Things" and "The Square Pegs", and to Planet he sent a singular hybrid
which is both stf and weird, "Pillar of Fire", which was also one of'
his very best stories of any type. Besides these remarkable offerings,
the .fabulous Bradbury appeared frequently in the slicks during 1948.'

■3. HENRY KUTTNER (4) 274

■ The prolific Kuttner, who writes under a variety of penames in a
variety of magazines, slowed down a little in 1948, but his typewriter
was still one to conjure with in the stf field. Among his stories dur¬
ing 1948 were such popular tales as "Ex Machina", "The Mask of Circe",
"Happy Ending", "Don't Look Now.'", a wacky Hogben yarn or two. These,
in addition to two reprints ("When the Earth Lived" and '"The Devil We
Know"), kept Kuttner's many followers happy all year.

■ 4. THEODORE STURGEON 343

Once a Campbell protege, Theodore Sturgeon really came into' his
own in 1948. Prime Press published Without Sorcery, , a collection of
his pre-1948 tales, and Sturgeon went right ahead and wrote some that
must eventually be collected in a companion collection. During 19.48,
Sturgeon adopted something new — stories with a mission,'directly con¬
nected in theme with today's world conditions. In that vein, aSF pub¬
lished "There, is No Defense" and "Unite and Conquer", and Weird Tales
several of his best psycho-horror tales, including '"[Jhe Deadly, Ratio"
and "The Perfect Host".

"5. JACK WILLIAMSON (3) . 146

A famous "hack" of the past, Williamson has shown his ability to
keep pace with the times by growing right up into the best of today's
aSF circle. His tremendous novel, "...And Searching Mind", was chosen

- 119 -

/•

i * V ■- ' .. - 11 ' .

130

THE FANTASY ANNUAL

1948's top story and was scheduled for hardcovers by Simon & Schuster;
his Seetee seriqs, written under the byline of Will Stewartwas. to re¬
appear in 1949; and Williamson's name has once again, after so long,
re-emerged into the front rank of science fiction's top producers,

6. ERIC FRANK RUSSELL _ (2) .131

During 1948 this English science • fictionist was on' his way to be¬
coming one of aSF's most prolific, as well as one of its most popular,
.contributors.. Many considered his bitter satire of militarism and al¬
most poetic picture of futuristic pacifism, "Late Night Final", one of
the top yarns of 1948, and his serial "Dreadful Sanctuary" was another
outstanding tale of the. year. All in all, Russell was .the best of a
very talented group of English stf writers.

7. L. RON HUBBARD 101

Although he wrote nothing as-good as "Final Blackout" or "The
•Dangerous Dimension" in 1948, Hubbard contributed some excellent mater¬
ial to several fantasy magazines. "The Obsolete Weapon", and several
Doc Methuselah yarns (under the byline of Rene Lafayette) appeared in
aSF, and "When Shadows Fall" end "240,000 Miles Straight Up" came out
in the Merwin-edited magazines, the latter proving almost as 'contro¬
versial as "Final Blackout", and with the same element.of readers.

8. ROBERT A. HEINLEIN (2) 93

It has been several years since Robert Heinlein. contributed his
epoch-making stories to the stf magazines, and although his "Black
Pits of Luna" appeared in Saturday Evening Post during 1948, most of
his current popularity undoubtedly sprang from the publication, of . Be¬
yond This Horizon by Fantasy. Press., and Sp ace* Oadet by Scribners,

,9. MURRAY LEINSTER ' (l) ' 87

One of stfs best writers, Murray Leinster — who everyone" knows
is really Will F. Jenkins — contributed much that was outstanding to
1948's stf magazines. Among the best were "The Ghost Planet" and "The
Seven Temporary Moons", under his Fitzgerald pseudonym.

10. ROG PHILLIPS (1) 64

Rog may owe at least some of his popularity to his conducting of
"The Club House", out standing fan column in Amazing,. but such stories
as "Starship from Sirius", "The Supernal Note", "Cube Root of Con¬
quest", "The Unthinking Destroyer", and others were the major factor.

# # # * # •» •» * * * - * # # * * * • * * * * * *

TOP PRO ARTISTS

1 .

Virgil Finlay (

;io)

492-

Chesley Bone"stell

(5)

162

Edd Cartier I

:i3)

454

Hubert Rogers

(1)

.154

Lawrence-Stevens (

:e)

447 -

•7. ■

Paul Or.ban

Hannes Bok (

:?)

247'

Earle Bergey

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Full text of "The Fantasy Annual 1948 [1949-Summer]"

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